KOTOR MMO

[IDIC]

Reports surfaced today that EA CEO John Riccitiello confirmed that LucasArts and BioWare were indeed working on a Knights of the Old Republic MMO. Though it's been widely assumed that the developer and publisher were working on a Star Wars MMO based on the Knights of the Old Republic universe, this is the first time anyone has officially confirmed it. When contacted about the statement, BioWare deferred to LucasArts whose representatives told us that they currently have "nothing to announce" regarding their association with BioWare. Even with both parties staying quiet on the issue, it's hard to discount Riccitiello's statements regarding the new game.

This would be the first semi-official confirmation that the secret project between Bioware and LucasArts is in fact a new Star Wars MMO.



Personally, I think this is the best route for them to go as the Old Republic timeline leaves a lot of options whereas putting a game (SWG) in the timeline of the original trilogy put a lot of constraints on the game and the stories they could develop for the players.

link for the source: http://pc.ign.com/articles/891/891718p1.html

 

[firehawk12]

I just posted in the E3 thread.

Maybe I feel pissy, but I think this is the nail in the KoTOR coffin. Now you can play some random person in Star Wars that no one will care about because there are thousands of other people playing generic characters too!

Yeah, I don't know. I just want to see an end to the Revan/Exile storyline started by KoTOR2 and it doesn't look like I'll ever get to see it.

 

[Mr Light]

Well that's cool but I'll never play it... I hope this isn't the conclusion of the Revan/Exile/Hidden Sith story they hinted at in KOTR2 cause I won't get to see it! I'm on dial-up

 

[IDIC]

I think differently. We could still see an end to the Revan and Exile storyline. However, they would have to force a specific storyline and gender on both characters. Not to mention, the many other side characters that could be used. I thought that all the force users that the Exile attracted to him/her and trained would eventually go on to re-establish the Jedi Order assuming you took the good path.

Maybe I feel pissy, but I think this is the nail in the KoTOR coffin. Now you can play some random person in Star Wars that no one will care about because there are thousands of other people playing generic characters too!

This isnt true. In an MMO, every player is the hero of their own story. And it wouldnt be the death nail in anything except Star Wars Galaxies imo. Bioware is working on this so I have little doubt that it would live up to the same standards of story telling and immersion that Bioware games are known for.

 

[Colonel Midnight]

I'm not on dial-up, but... I'm not an MMO type of person, so this kind of sucks.

Who knows - perhaps there's hope in TPTB releasing a version of a 'Revan Quest' or something similar from the MMO as a 'regular' stand-alone game.

Cheers,
-CM-

 

[Kegek]

Yeah, I don't know. I just want to see an end to the Revan/Exile storyline started by KoTOR2 and it doesn't look like I'll ever get to see it.

I think we may still see that.

At least in the extent one might.

I never really expected KOTOR 3, should it be made, to allow you to play either of these characters or even feature them significantly; I expected it to relate to them both the same way KOTOR 2 related to the original.

And the events since the Exile and Revan could probably be - and likely be - covered in quest chains. World of Warcraft did a lot of lore building in this manner. It'll probably be possible to play diverging but similar quest chains for the Light and Dark Side, as KOTOR did, and as Warcraft could also do.

Of course, what we wouldn't get is a third new, well-crafted character with his/her own background and so on, as we got with Revan and the Exile. We'd have the generic MMO nobody; we also wouldn't have a team of NPCs and, to our particular sorrow, probably can't bug HK-47 some more. We might get a lot of plot from the quests; but we won't get intricate arguments. Those are aspects it'll definitely be sad to lose.

 

[PalmerEldritch]

i'm not really looking forward to a KOTOR sequel filled with thousands of uber-Jedi leveling excessively in order to compare "sabers."


"find me 10 bantha skins you will. quest completed will it be."

 

[TheBrew]

I'm looking forward to it. I want to see BW's take on the MMO genre. Plus it can't be worse than how Galaxies ended up.

 

[Jim Steele]

I'd be excited about a KOTOR 3. Couldn't care less about this.

 

[The Doctor]

I'd be excited about a KOTOR 3. Couldn't care less about this.

Yep.

MMO's just dont' do it for me. I guess I'm too much of a 'casual' gamer.

 

[Skywalker]

I have no doubt that BioWare will put out a quality product, but I just really don't care about MMOs. So this news is pretty disappointing, overall.

 

[Trubinator]

Sounds dumb to me, but what do I know?

 

[-Brett-]

I loved KOTOR, and to a lesser extend KOTOR 2, but I'm not big on MMO's.

The concept is fundamentally flawed. MMO developers seem to expect you to "work" at the game. I buy games to play, not to work on.

Once upon a time I might have thought that a Bioware MMO could possibly be an exception. Now Bioware is EA. This'll be yet another generic grind-fest.

 

[firehawk12]

The problem is that the American model for MMOs is to sell subscriptions and the only mechanic that people seem to be drawn to is the level grind. I must admit, I put a whole lot of time into Battlefield Bad Company not only because I liked the game, but because I wanted to level up and unlock some awards.

The thing is, there will never be an end game. I look at Star Wars Galaxies. I've never played it, but has ANYTHING happened in that game? Did the Rebellion finally win? Or did they change history and have the Imperials win? Or are people just running around crafting items and shooting Ewoks?

The minute that characters go to the outer rim to find out what happened to Revan and the Exile is probably the minute the actual story would end... which means that will absolutely never happen in the game.

I think it was with Lord of the Rings Online where you play side characters... and on the first few days of the game, people were all lining up to get a "special" quest to help Frodo on his journey to that Elf city. The magic is kind of ruined when you get a quest and then you see the guy behind you get the same quest as well. I don't seem to recall seeing hundreds of hobbits helping out Frodo in the movie anyway.

Even the Matrix MMO, which actually has a story that's supposed to go somewhere... I mean, have they answered anything? Apparently Trinity's body was taken over by the machines and she appears as an agent now and Morpheus is dead or some such... but I don't think anyone cares. Now, that might be hate towards the movie... but it could just be that in an MMO setting, is there really a point?

 

[rType]

^ You should tell Warcraft III fans that nothing happens in MMOs, they'll bite your head off.

 

[SalvorHardin]

I'd be excited about a KOTOR 3. Couldn't care less about this.

My feelings exactly...

 

[Hermiod]

I want a KoTOR game that follows on from the Dark Side ending of the first game, that'd be cool.

I rather liked the idea of being the Dark Lord of the Sith and having my hot, evil lover for an apprentice.

 

[Scout101]

I'd be excited about a KOTOR 3. Couldn't care less about this.

agreed. very disappointing news, especially since it had earlier been hinted at that it could possibly be KOTOR 3 they were working on. IMO, the MMOs are for for pre-teens and middle-aged men living at home. They're the only ones with enough time to spend hours and hours a day playing the game, and doing the mindless side quests. A casual gamer doesn't last long there, being 50 levels behind the regular folks.

Same reason I usually just play the single-player games, and ignore the online multiplayer functions. No desire to join a clan, or work as a team, and like to build things up a bit rather that just rush and swarm 2 minutes into a game...

 

[IDIC]

The thing is, there will never be an end game. I look at Star Wars Galaxies. I've never played it, but has ANYTHING happened in that game? Did the Rebellion finally win? Or did they change history and have the Imperials win? Or are people just running around crafting items and shooting Ewoks?

The fundamental problem with Star Wars Galaxies is that it is frozen in time and constrained by the story that takes place between A New Hope and the Empire Strikes Back. An Old Republic setting isnt really frozen in anything. There are thousands of years of history that isnt written. So, the game designers have much more freedom.

The minute that characters go to the outer rim to find out what happened to Revan and the Exile is probably the minute the actual story would end... which means that will absolutely never happen in the game.

You must not play many MMOGs. An MMOG is more than capable of ending storylines. Likewise, they do not have a singular story which they explore. A Knights of the Old Republic game would have more story than just what happened to Revan or the Exile.

I think it was with Lord of the Rings Online where you play side characters... and on the first few days of the game, people were all lining up to get a "special" quest to help Frodo on his journey to that Elf city. The magic is kind of ruined when you get a quest and then you see the guy behind you get the same quest as well. I don't seem to recall seeing hundreds of hobbits helping out Frodo in the movie anyway.

I guess we are different here. I couldnt care less about what other people are doing. I treat my MMOGs more as a singular or group play experience where I am the main hero. Lord of the Rings Online is actually a very good model for game designers to follow. The world of LotRO isnt static and they use instancing to provide a more personal experience to many quests/adventures.

Again, Bioware is the one working on this MMOG. I think you are jumping to unfounded conclusions in assuming that it will be exactly like other MMOGs on the market. I think we will get cinematic quality dialogues with NPCs just like in other Bioware games.

Which would you rather have a KotOR game that lasts 40 hours or one that lasts years.

 

[Hermiod]

Same reason I usually just play the single-player games, and ignore the online multiplayer functions. No desire to join a clan, or work as a team, and like to build things up a bit rather that just rush and swarm 2 minutes into a game...

Got to agree with you on that. Gaming's gone a bit too multiplayer for my tastes. I'd love to know, for instance, why Quake IV didn't have a botmatch mode.