Bioware has a great track record with their games and the game engine that they are using for this game is the same one that was used for a game that won a best in show award at E3 in 2005 from MMORPG.com. Unfortunately that game, Hero's Journey, is currently on the back burner at best, and at worst is vaporware, as it's developer, Simutronics, the same company that developed the engine, has decided that it's in their best interest to just focus on developing and licensing their engine.
But any ways, everyone who saw Hero's Journey at E3 was very impressed and that was 4 years ago now so I'm sure that they've improved their engine well beyond what it was back then. So combine this engine with Bioware's fantastic creative abilities and I'm not surprised at all that you were impressed with what you saw.
I know that I'm in the minority but I really want a game that's more than just exploration, combat and progression, the three pillars as Bioware calls them. I want a game that has more depth and detail than the typical MMORPG. I want a great story in my game. I want to feel like my actions mean something and it looks like that's exactly what Bioware is aiming for with this game.
I know some people think that this type of game won't work, that the WoW model is the one that everyone should be aiming for but I disagree. I think there needs to be a developer that breaks that mold and moves the MMORPG genre forward. I want to see MMORPG's get away from the grind fest that occurs from level 1 to the level cap and I would like for there to be more than just raiding at the "end game." So hopefully TOR is the first step in that direction.
Star Wars: The Old Republic at E3
After BioWare announced that Star Wars: The Old Republic would be the first fully voiced MMORPG we had the opportunity to go behind the scenes at E3 to take a look at the game for ourselves.
Earlier in the week it was announced that Star Wars: The Old Republic would be the first fully voiced MMO giving BioWare the ability to engage the player unlike anything we've ever seen in the MMO space. "We think this changes everything for MMOs. Being a fully voiced game completely draws the player in and creates those emotionally engaging moments that we want our players to experience. ... As you can tell, story means a lot to us. Up until now MMO games have shown an impressive commitment to the classic RPG features of exploration, combat and progression, what we call "The Three Pillars". What we're adding is something that is fundamental to the success of great entertainment in general, story. This is what we mean when we talk about bringing the fourth pillar of story to the MMO genre." said Ray Muzyka, Co-Founder of BioWare at a press conference on Monday.
We had the opportunity to go behind closed doors off the show floor to get a private gameplay demonstration that had us looking at each other in amazement. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to record what we saw but it's this gaming enthusiasts opinion that if Star Wars: The Old Republic plays similar to what we were shown at release -- naysayers are in for a big surprise and fans of BioWare, KOTOR and brilliantly developed MMORPG are in for a special treat.
Stay tuned after the jump for our exclusive interview with SW:TOR Lead Writer, Daniel Erickson and the Lead Designer, James Olhen.