As Fantasy Becomes Reality...

As release date inches closer and closer, I must wonder whether or not the excitement of The Old Republic will be worth it and justified. As I was lucky enough get to try out the game at E3 this year, I can say for sure that it will definitely be fun but there is still that uncertainly that comes with every new MMO. In fact, the knowledge of some of my friends getting into beta only raises the nervousness and tension created by a galaxy almost ready to be explored. Hence, the release of the game itself marks a new transition from a simple period of "waiting" into something that is actually "playing". Yet, "playing" the game is no easy task since there will be lots and lots of things to do.

Are you really ready for this?

Choosing The Right Class: To start off, what class am I going to play and how do I know I have made the right decision? The thing with classes of any new MMO is that no one has played them yet. Picking a class, and later an advanced class will be a heavy choice that will impact how you play and enjoy the rest of the game. No doubt, the first character you create will be the fondest memory you will every have despite how many characters you create in the future.

With that being said, you should pick characters that play to your strength and your own idea of fun. Obviously, a person who likes to be right in the middle of action, should pick a melee character since it will augment his own sense of enjoyment as well as play style. On the flip side, someone who rather sit in the back and leisurely pick people off should go for a ranged class. Those who are a little more tactical or adventurous can try a "hybrid" class where they can engaging both on the melee front as well as ranged. Keep in mind however that with every strength of a characters comes a disadvantage. Knowing these disadvantages will affect how good of a player you are and frankly, how "bad ass" your character will be.

Now that you're here, what will you do? 

A Guild and Why It's Important: Now, you know all those motivation posters that tell you "success is in the journey and not the destination?" Well, it's true but a journey into the unknown can definitely be a frightful thing. Imagine the RPGs of the old, where you would walk into an area and get instantly killed by a bunny (FFXI, I'm looking you!). Wouldn't you rather have someone there with you to tell you not to go into that forest...or better yet, to help shoot that darn bunny while it was taking a juicy bite off your arm? I know I would and in fact, I would rather have a "Han shoots first" attitude where multiple of my allies unleash a barrage of unrelenting laser fire into that innocent looking "bunny" before it can even get near me.

Well, that is what guilds are for. Finding the proper group of people who can get your back will not only make the game easier, but will also be more fun socially. Keep in mind that this is a Massive Multiplayer Online game where this is definitely possible so why not take advantage of it? Discovering the right guild takes time, but when you found the one guild where you can build a sense of camaraderie, there is no other feeling like it in the world. Whether teaming up to take down a Master Jedi/Sith or simply hanging out and chatting about your adventures, the galaxy will be much less lonely with allies at your side.

The journey is better with friends...

All in all, The Old Republic is going to be a blast, but only with proper amount of planning. In an online Bioware game with plenty of permanent choices, it is simply better to be prepared than make a mistake somewhere down the road that you will regret. Keep in mind that you should enjoy this game and choices made with knowledge are choices not wasted. Besides, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, you journey has just begun.

Some SWTOR Pictures from E3!

Greetings everyone!  As some of you have asked, I did take some pictures from E3 and although most of the pictures are of the show's floor, I did manage to catch a few pictures from SWTOR's booth that you may interested in. Keep in mind that these were taken with a 3.2MP camera phone and the quality is low. Without further adieu, here are the photos:

 

Welcome to E3 2011. Seeing these lights for the first time...

 Although it says EA Sports, the Star Wars magic happens inside here...

 Both Bounty Hunters are accounted for...the Powertech, the Mercenary and Blizz...

 

For the first time, we see a group of people gathering for a quest...(From Left to Right: Sniper (female), Sorcerer, Powertech (female), Operative, Powertech (male), Sniper (male), Blizz)

 If you click on the glowing machine, something will happen... (On the right there you see the Marauder, the Mercenary, and a robot companion)

Although this looks EXACTLY like a blue glowy Jedi, it is just a normal officer... (Notice that people in cut scene dialogue have a black speech bubble their heads - picture above)

Here the Sith Sorcerer casting the out-of-combat heal...(Animation for this is he paces back and forth and radiates a black aura...kind of emo -_-)

Sith Sorcerer Moveset...(Lightsaber attacks are top left, self buffs are lower right, out of combat heal is top right, spells are top mid, and CC's are bottom left)

 

  What we are seeing here appears to be on of the Bounty Hunter's movesets... (I believe this is the Mercenary b/c the Powertech was flamethrower spec...keep in mind the moves are arranged in a similar way on all characters...)

 Here is one way the Sith Assassin will be able to Tank (*hint hint*)

 Here we have a map of Tatooine, where both factions can visit...(Aside from what you see on screen, there are lots of caves to explore....)

Lastly I will leave you with this...yeah....( Lolz! )

And that is it for everything SWTOR related at E3. I hope you all enjoy and please feel free to ask me any questions. I do have more E3 photos but since they have nothing to do with SWTOR I will leave them out for now. Thanks for reading guys and hopefully this offered you some more insight into the game.

Questions Concerning Imperial Agent: Operative

Greetings everyone! Recently, I have received a couple of questions regarding the Operative class and thought it would be a good idea to create a blog post about them. This way, everyone will be able to benefit off some of the answers. Please keep in mind that these answers are based off of my E3 play session and not Beta. Here they are:

 

Kaliyo-Djannis in ACTION!!!

Did you get to play the male or female Operative?

The operative I got to play specifically was female. However, I am aware that there was another Operative class that was male and dressed the same gear with the same skill set.

Who was the companion for the Operative? 

The companion available at the E3 demo was none other than Kaliyo-Djannis. Although not perfect (sometimes she would just hang out while I am being shot at...cute), she was adequate in her damage, providing acceptable DPS and covering fire. Her "kit" was a grenade toss that was not all that impressive when compared to her default auto attacks.

When you hear others say that the companion characters feel like "pets" in other games, this is mostly true. What really disappointed me was the lack of commentary as I traversed the land, unlike in Mass Effect 2 or Dragon Age.

What is the "look" of the Operative class?

The Operative class really does look like a Jack-of-All-Trade type in terms of designed. If any of you were disappointed that the Empire did not receive a Smuggler type character in terms of looks, be disappointed no more! The typical color pallet included a blue coat with tan inner workings and a standard white shirt accompanied with belts...lots and lots of belts.

 

Trench coats are the look for Operatives.

Is the Operative a ranged nuker or melee fighter? 

Operatives exceed at close-to-mid range combat. Although during my experience at E3 I used a lot of Stealth and Back stabs, this doesn't necessarily mean that the class absolutely has to be played this way. In fact, walking the Tatooine Developer Video, we can see that Operative used no melee ranged moves at all. If would have to describe the class in one sentence it would be: Ranged DPS with Poisons, Heals, and Survivability (Reads: Good for PvP.

Does the Operative need Stealth to be viable?

Currently at level 26, the Operative can only Stealth outside of combat and Back stab when in Stealth. While it would be nice if everyone died Assassin's Creed style in one hit, this is not the case with MMOs. Hence, for time after your opening move, you are presented with various ways to dispatch the enemy. Within the E3 demo, there were standard pistol attacks (charged up shots, barrages, double taps), poison/damage over times droid probes, bleed affects, heals, and melee. How you choose to play and spec your Operative will be determine what type play style your character will have. What is nice to know, however, is that all these options are available to you within this Advanced Class. (Respecs anyone?)

 

Oooo...all the pretty lights!

What is the Operative's "role" in PvE versus in PvP?

Everyone knows that "hybrids" are controversial in MMOs, but there is no denying that is what an Operative is. In PvE, expect to dish out consistent damage via melee or ranged, while spot healing time to time to save an ally. Depending on the way you are built, you can be the person to keep everyone alive, the one to dish out insane close range burst damage, or the person to slowly wither all enemies health through poisons. In addition to combat, the Operative is indeed a "rogue" type character who will open locked doors leading to treasure or alternative routes to within a Flashpoint. (Exciting, no?)

I can write a whole article about the "potential possibility" of the Operative in PvP, but just know this. This class is made for people who like to think on their feet and generate a plan in their head. Being given a wide variety of skills (Stealth/Cover), there is definitely an answer to everything an opponent can throw at you. With the additions of poisons and heals, expect the Operative to be a very hard person to take down. If taken down, the other team would have to sacrifice a great deal. Keep in mind that while the game will be balanced, having an answer to every situation is something not all classes can say.