Strategy Informer  

I didn't see any interactivity in the briefing, if you could call a in-engine movie a briefing and the combat seems to have pretty standard mmo fighting system.

They didn't show it directly. You get Mass Effect-style choices during mission briefings that actually direct where the mission will go.

And maybe you didn't notice it, but one innovative combat aspect is that the MMO uses a cover system.

The artwork still doesn't do it for me and I'm afraid I see nothing here to get all excited about. If anything, it looks more non-SW than it should and more a generic Sci-Fi shooter/slasher. Perhaps Bioware should really have looked to do a "Mass Effect" MMO, rather than dabble in the very deep waters of "SW"...time will tell.

It's an MMO. You need to have people with low-end CPUs be able to play.

Yeah, BioWare has no idea how to do a Star Wars game. (rolling eyes)

Mass Effect MMO will be greate and if the will be ME MMO it should have better artwork than this.

@Jonah
Untrue. Both "WoW" and Cryptic's "Star Trek Online" sport dead gorgeous graphics, with the former scalable and the latter requiring no beast to still look the best in the market. By the time April and Season 4 swings around that game will be 100% on what it was on release as well.
Be sarcastic all you like , but there is always a first time to fail (Bethesda did it with "Star Trek Legacy"). The final product is what I'm interested in, not the history of the Developer.

I hear ya Herod. They would have been better off just making another KotOR instead. Jade Empire or Mass Effect would have been good choices for the MMO world.
But, I'll wait. See how it'll turn out. I just don't have very high expectations for it.

Hero, if you're actually saything that you believe WoW graphics to be somehow superior to The Old Republic, I would direct you to your nearest optometrist.

To some extent, I understand people's skeptisism and negativity when it comes to new MMO's given the track-record of previous attempts.. but comments like this exceed what I see as acceptable negativity without trying the game yourself. Especially when TOR has shown and proven so many innovative ideas already to be fully functioning in-game. With an MMO, the smallest thing can ruin the experience and cause failure of the game.. but at this stage, BioWare have given gamers nothing but reasons to have high hopes and give positive feedback.

Also, all these comments like 'they should have made KOTOR 3 instead' which I've seen around the net, and now here as well.. are made in ignorance. TOR is KOTOR 3.. just because they've expanded it to include 8 campaigns instead of 1, and made it completely online.. doesn't make it any less of a follow-on of the KOTOR franchise.

By the way, World of Warcraft's graphics at launch were pretty cartoon-like. The water wasn't very realistic, etc.

The Old Republic is actually KOTOR 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, according to BioWare.

@Jake
So your saying that my comment about making a KotOR 3 instead was out of ignorance?
Then what do you call ignoring an Entire fan base (most of whom requested sequels to KotOR RPG, not an MMO), taking out the single player, making it Online only, and then making it playable Only to people with a good enough PC and internet connection?
This game is anything But a follow-on to the KotOR games!

So your saying that because it has different system requirements and features as KOTOR 1 and 2, it suddenly isn't a follow-on of the franchise they created, and ARE continuing with TOR?

I'm sorry that an MMO isn't your preference in a game (I would be disappointed too), but for a lot of people it is.. and just because this game doesn't offer the exact experience you wanted in KOTOR 3-10.. does NOT make it any less of a follow-on. The same as a lot of people didn't like the graphics change for Dragon Age 2 (not quite the same scale as this, but similar concept).. it still is a sequel. In the same light, you don't like that this game will be online only, but it's still KOTOR 3 (just not in name).

And the boys of SI up the ante and become aggressive to the members...again.
@Jake_SI
For your information, "Star Trek Online" is accepted to have the best looking graphics in any MMO on the market (bar none), while the graphics for "WoW' have been ugraded significantly with "WoW: Cataclysm". The latter is universally accepted to be pushing an aging engine to it's limits, but doing it with class, while the former is gaining more and more members with every update. Still, both are playable on an average machine and look great (try them out for yourselves).
"TOR", on the other hand has been controversial in it's presentation from the start, and BioWare has been constantly changing and altering it from the get-go. So no Jake, I don't need an optometrist...""WoW" still looks the better of the two and I'm not even a "WoW fan. From what I've seen personally, and from the impressions of others "TOR" is still not looking good. Not all of us appreciate BioWare's unique approach to the look of "TOR".But that's just my opinion.
@Jonah
You are always ready to pick a fight with any member here who opposes your pov, whatever they may actually be (can't figure you out at all). Nice to see you towing the BioWare company line:
"The Old Republic is actually KOTOR 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, according to BioWare" - straight out of their PR booklett, but where's the proof?

Jake and Jonah, you obviously are ardent followers and supporters of the game and BioWare. Just don't expect the rest of us to blindly accept the promises of the company or to not raise questions both to the current presentation or to what fans are expecting to receive in the end product. Many SW gamers actually do want "KoTR 3" and not a "KoTOR" MMO...it's the SP experience they are after which of course this doesn't offer. Fans have every right to make that complaint.
Anyway, my opinion is just that. At least I don't try and force it on others.

First, I never actually commented on Star Trek Online for the fact that I've never played it and such can not speak to his graphic quality. My only comment was pertaining to the ridiculous notion that WoW has superior graphics. Whilst you may like WoW's graphics more because you don't appreciate TOR's style.. that doesn't actually make the quality of WoW's graphics better. A game can have better graphics, but not look as good as something else (which is an opinion).. it's two entirely different things. Whilst Blizzard is doing a good job with pushing their engine.. it's simply not of as a high a quality as TOR has (and is capable of having), which is only natural, since it's new.

Second, yes, I'm a fan of BioWare and I'm eagerly awaiting this game.. but I also never 'blindly accepted promises' from BioWare (or any other developer for that matter) for two main reasons. First and foremost, because that's a foolish thing to do, as you risk being disappointed, and secondly, because BioWare very rarely makes promises they cant/wont keep, it's the core guideline they follow in PR.

Something they've also made clear, is that they are working hard to make TOR a game that a person can experience on their own if they really want to, so whilst it wont be truly single-player, and there will be lots of MMO content which players will be encouraged to take part in, you will have the option to just experience the 8 class campaigns which take the player all the way from the beginning to the level cap of 50, on your own. I understand that it's not ideal for those who were simply wanting another single-player game in the franchise, and I have no issue with people voicing their opinions, regardless if they are negative. But that doesn't mean I wont voice my opinion as well, and do my best to make sure they have the correct information so as to make a more informed judgement of the game (or as much as they can really do so, whilst it's still in development).

Argh, getting heated in here!

I'll say the following:

-Graphics look good, more than they needed to be even.
Personally prefer them over current WoW

-The games feels like a cross between ME and KotoR to me. (styling wise)

-It is actually basically a gigantic KotoR 3 with full voiced characters a massive amount of story lines and combat very similar to 2, but with added cover.
If they made a KotoR 3, I would NOT have expected this much content. I would have expected the graphs as they are as well as the combat the way it is.

So the only downside is the obvious subsription costs. But honestly, I don't care. If we WERE getting KotoR 3, it would NOT be this huge. There simply would not be a high enough turnover on a singleplayer game to justify all the content there is in this thing.

So I certainly get where Herod is coming from and shared his opinion actually. But in recent weeks I have been converted because of the reasons above.

PS
How the hell does this not lookk like SW though? It SCREAMS old Republic!

I played Star Trek Online. The graphics aren't better than you see here - I don't know where you're getting that from, except maybe the closeup of the HOLOGRAM of the Sith General. And in some cases, much worse: the ships for example - they look MUCH MUCH better in The Old Republic.

Oh god...WHO CARES WHICH LOOKS BETTER!
Seriously, come the fark on!

The debate for me ends here. I've never seen such antagonism shown toward fellow posters as I've witnessed on this article (but then I've never come across some of the attitudes either).
Until it's release, the game will obviously be a focus of debate. I'm not a fan of BioWare as I'm not a fan of any Developer. It's the product I am interested in, as many a good Dev has taken a misstep.
As for the graphics Jonah...let's wait for release and then you can compare (and not with Demos or beta products). I simply said "STO" was the best on the market NOW, and it is.
I'm looking forward to the release of "TOR" and seeing what it brings to the MMO table, but I won't have my opinions trashed by fellow members who believe their opinions (yes, they are simply opinions fellas) are the only ones. Leave the high horses in the stables, guys.

Sure.

It's when people get this worked up over a game that you realise priorities might need changing.

And what's wrong with getting excited about a game?

Nothing at all. However, insults and taunts are going too far. That I expect from very young fanboys, not staffers. You know exactly what I'm talking about.

As an aside "STO" turns One Year Old today with a 1.4 GB patch and loads of new stuff. That I consider newsworthy.

I don't see any insults or taunts, just a healthy debate between people with opposing views. You seem to take any opinion that is against your own as someone being agressive. Frankly, comments like "Leave the high horses in the stables, guys" from you, are the ones most unnecessary. I apologise if you considered my 'optometrist' comment to be an insult, however I believed it was clear (since I have no actual knowledge of the qaulity of your eye-sight), that I was just using it as a bit of a joke to emphasise my surprise at your opinion of WoW graphics.

I enjoy a healthy debate as much as anyone, and knew you would come back at me with me being the aggressive one (I expected that, but am disappointed you said it).
I have never felt an insult when disagreed with...by anyone. Until now.
The "optometrist" comment was a clear insult, Jake and you'd have been offended if I'd said something of the sort to you. I am tired of making comments or opinions of late only to be told I'm "crazy", "am I for real" or need an "optometrist". This is not what I've come to expect from friends discussing a topic in a calm fashion over the years - agreeing to disagree. This is something altogether new, without pointing fingers.
As for the "High Horse" comment. That's my way of simply trying to settle the dust. Disagree with me all you like, just don't insult me. That's all I ask.
Gosh, what a dreadful thread!!!

I welcome different opinions, I have absolutely no issue with you disagreeing with me, why do you seem to take every comment so badly. No, I wouldn't be insulted if you used a line similar to my 'optometrist' comment to get a point across, because I'd understand it wasn't an insult, but merely a way of expressing something. However, I already apologised if you misunderstood my intention when using it.

Ironically, the commenting has actually NOW turned aggressive, yet it wasn't because of me (or Jonah), but because of you acting as though every word from our mouths was a slap to your face. All we have done is voiced our opinions, the same as you have.

It seems to me (based on your comments), that you are infact the one that doesn't seem capable of accepting other people's opinions if they differ from your own, which is very different to what you preach. You're over-reacting about this entire affair. Please just try and relax, and if you find a debate is getting you aggravated, then just 'tap-out' rather than continuing and trying to lay false blame on others for turning it aggressive.

Well, I apologise to all if I'm seen to be the agressor here. When a personal comment is made at me, and not a positive or jocular one I will see this as an insult, and will react accordingly. Insult me all you like - just put a smiley face at the end to let know you aren't serious:)

I will keep that in mind for future debates between us! :)

No need, Jake. Maybe I'm just getting old and crotchety. Not long till the gamers retirement home now.

Shew!!!. Guys, I think that this sort of stuff should be in the form of Personal Messages to one another. These last few posts have no relevance to this news piece what so ever. Also, I don't think that the guys who put the daily news on this place should not talk to regular members, unless they have a seperate account. That's the way it used to be.