the-old-republic posts

All MMOs have what could be considered dungeons. Games like World of Warcraft and City of Heroes put players in an instanced space, tell them they have to clear it with their buddies, and then give them the go ahead. The Old Republic is no different, and BioWare has finally released information on the first of many Flashpoints. Flashpoints act much like dungeons in other MMOs, except that they are more story focused and include things such as divergent paths. This trailer showcases the Tarel V Flashpoint, a dungeon where players must rescue an imprisoned jedi.

Download Star Wars: The Old Republic 'Flashpoint: Tarel V' Trailer
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There are many games that have incorporated the light side/dark side force mechanic seen in the Star Wars universe. In fact, virtually every Star Wars game where you play a specific character, rather than a nameless fighter pilot or commander, has this juxtaposition of intention. The Old Republic is no different, and BioWare has released a new trailer discussing the ins and outs of the two light side Jedi classes: the Knight and the Consular. It goes into considerable detail, ranging from the syncing of lightsaber animations to the gameplay roles of both classes. It's a very enlightening trailer, and a must watch for Star Wars fans.

Darth Revan's plot thread at the end of Knights of the Old Republic was left hanging. In short, he left to fight the Sith in the unknown and undiscovered parts of the universe. While it was briefly mentioned in the second game, it was never really brought up until now. BioWare is bringing backtheir favorite combination Sith/Jedi and putting him in their new MMO. This trailer doesn't show off a whole lot of specifics, but for most Star Wars and BioWare fans, the mere mention of Darth Revan is enough. Then combine it with a mention of him being reborn. Darth Revan in The Old Republic? We sure hope so.

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Love Star Wars? So do we. That's why this new Old Republic trailer has us all excited. While it doesn't show any gameplay footage, the cinematic is on par with those found in Blizzard games. It showcases the fight between Sith Empire forces and the defenders of Alderaan, and shows that despite Sith being overwhelming badasses, an equally awesome soldier can take them down. Cool stuff.

Download HD The Old Republic 'Hope' Trailer (419MB)
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Games that are coming out soon have a lot of unknowns that the average person might not know. Who is this character inspired by? Is all the talk of volumetric fog or cel-shaded graphics really worthwhile? Do the game mechanics really seem solid, or are they lackluster? In All You Need To Know we provide information to help you fully appreciate what these upcoming games have to offer.

Feed your head after the jump.

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It's likely that you already know this, but if you don't: Bioware's upcoming MMO, The Old Republic, set in the Star Wars universe, will be the first massively multiplayer online game to feature full voice acting for every single one of its characters. There have been characters with introductory voice greetings in many MMOs before, but never on this scale. And because the storyline is set so far back in the past, before the movies have taken place, there won't be any conflict with sound-alikes, attempting to imitate well-known voices of famous characters.

How will this affect the MMO experience? Does it make or break immersion when you hear a character's voice? Will other MMOs pick this up? Is full voice the future of online video games?

BioWare shares some of the secrets of world creation with fans in the latest developer's blog. It describes the detail and inspiration that went into putting together Hutta, the planet of "Jabba the Hut" fame, in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Wading through the ankle high water of highly polluted swamps might not be an up-and-coming Jedi's ideal vacation, but this gives some great insight into what players can look forward to while exploring the galaxy. New concept art is posted is included with the post.

Download Star Wars: The Old Republic 'Making of Tython' Video (106 MB)
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This video documentary for Star Wars: The Old Republic, the first in a series, takes a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the upcoming MMO. It also includes never before seen game footage and a run down of some of the features.

Download HD Star Wars: The Old Republic Documentary Video #1 (45 MB)

It certainly seems like the rumors concerning BioWare's obvious development of a Knight of the Old Republic-themed MMO began a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Like Blizzard's revelation of Diablo III this past June, the development of Star Wars: The Old Republic was one of the worst-kept secrets in the games industry. It was a title everyone knew was coming; the only question was when it would be revealed.

Yesterday, the transparent curtain was pulled back, and the gaming world marveled at the game industry insiders had been buzzing about for quite some time. Despite the game's advanced appearance, BioWare and LucasArts burst the collective bubble of assembled journalists by informing us that the title was not ready for hands-on trials. Fortunately, a number of designers integral to the game's development were on hand to show us gameplay footage and answer several questions.