Bioware developer and lead storyteller Daniel Erickson has the writer's gift of gab and consequently has dropped some juicy quotes regarding The Old Republic (and MMORPGs in general) over the last few months. Today he continues the tradition in a portion of a new interview conducted by CVG. Erickson doesn't shy away from calling the forthcoming Star Wars MMO the best thing since sliced bantha bread, and he also has a few choice words for folks who aren't exactly thrilled with the RPG-maker's story, story, and more story mantra.
"If you are a hardcore, traditional Bioware fan - a Mass Effect or especially Dragon [Age] fan - this is the dream game. It is an RPG forever. It is an RPG that at the speed and pace that I play RPGs as a gamer, five or ten hours a week, I could never finish this game," Erickson says. He doesn't stop there though. "If the idea of story and context really turns you off, if what you want is [just the] complete Disneyland experience, where you run on the rides and repeat the stuff, this probably isn't your favorite MMO," he says.
Check out the original post at CVG. And if you're lucky enough to be attending the San Diego Comic Con later this month, you can even check out Bioware's SWTOR offerings in person; they are set to include a panel on multiplayer story, among others.
Reader Comments (92)
Posted: Jul 10th 2010 1:14PM engrey said
That pretty much confirmed my fears of the game, very single-player, very casual, and very RPG friendly. They do not care about those that put time into their characters, strive for the firsts, and want to be the best. Off to Cataclysm I go.
Posted: Jul 10th 2010 1:42PM (Unverified) said
BioWare has NEVER made a game that failed! Star Wars has a HUGE following for this to be BioWare's first failure.
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Posted: Jul 10th 2010 9:04PM Graill440 said
I make it a point to read voted down posts, first, posts that have been nearly hidden show the fear and dislike of others opinions and proves that we still live in a time where not everyone can make a statement, good or bad, without someone trying to censor it simply because they dont like it. Voting down is fine, hiding anything is not, shows a mentality of fear. Just my opinion.
Now in response @ McRaiders post;
From reading your post you show a narrow minded view and you show an addiction, an investment in a make believe character indicates your inability to remove yourself from the environment willingly and clouds your own opinions. Also stating before even trying that the game isnt worth it is also in keeping with your narrowminded field of view to at least try "it" before typing something hundreds of folks read and then discount as a rant because of a non supportive argument. Your supportive statement was cataclysm? Really?
I will try this when it comes out, among others as i search for that...holy "graill" *chuckle* of MMO's, though i will wait for a few months till others post. I have seen several interviews on the title and not all mesh with each other, some even contradict one another. Do i get a be a solo hero from start to finish, including epic content? From the day one interview yes. Do i have to be in a group to participate in epic content (raid) and be part of a team of heros, from the fourth E3 interview (hope) thats the only way or you fail epic storylines.
Which is correct? Did the direction change with no clear announcement while i was tending my mushrooms in the darkness? I guess i need to wait and see, my wallet will.
:)
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Now in response @ McRaiders post;
From reading your post you show a narrow minded view and you show an addiction, an investment in a make believe character indicates your inability to remove yourself from the environment willingly and clouds your own opinions. Also stating before even trying that the game isnt worth it is also in keeping with your narrowminded field of view to at least try "it" before typing something hundreds of folks read and then discount as a rant because of a non supportive argument. Your supportive statement was cataclysm? Really?
I will try this when it comes out, among others as i search for that...holy "graill" *chuckle* of MMO's, though i will wait for a few months till others post. I have seen several interviews on the title and not all mesh with each other, some even contradict one another. Do i get a be a solo hero from start to finish, including epic content? From the day one interview yes. Do i have to be in a group to participate in epic content (raid) and be part of a team of heros, from the fourth E3 interview (hope) thats the only way or you fail epic storylines.
Which is correct? Did the direction change with no clear announcement while i was tending my mushrooms in the darkness? I guess i need to wait and see, my wallet will.
:)
Posted: Jul 11th 2010 12:02PM (Unverified) said
That's a really strange conclusion, considering that he rather strictly stated that it would be a "dream game" for "If you are a hardcore, traditional Bioware fan a Mass Effect or especially Dragon [Age] fan..." and I haven't lately heard that Mass Effect and Dragon Age were considered "casual" games.
Are you just trying to convince yourself at all costs that this is a bad game?
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Are you just trying to convince yourself at all costs that this is a bad game?
Posted: Jul 10th 2010 1:15PM (Unverified) said
"If the idea of story and context really turns you off, if what you want is [just the] complete Disneyland experience, where you run on the rides and repeat the stuff, this probably isn't your favorite MMO,"
This. 100 times this. Love it or hate it, the story-driven MMO is the game Bioware wants to make.
This. 100 times this. Love it or hate it, the story-driven MMO is the game Bioware wants to make.
Posted: Jul 10th 2010 5:57PM LaughingTarget said
And that's what it's going to take to get the MMO genre out of the rut it's been stuck in for the past 6-8 years.
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Posted: Jul 10th 2010 1:18PM Deadalon said
Im not sure Bioware MMO can have the polish needed to make it. There are so many traps set for this one and it just seems like Bioware are walking into every single one of them.
There is no turning back with hours and hours of voiceover... Just ask Funcom and their AOC mess...
There is no turning back with hours and hours of voiceover... Just ask Funcom and their AOC mess...
Posted: Jul 10th 2010 2:48PM (Unverified) said
lol - I can't belive you mentioned AoC even in this thread, fecking lol@you!!!!!
Hahahahahahahahahahah!
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Hahahahahahahahahahah!
Posted: Jul 10th 2010 1:21PM Thojorkill said
All those pre NGE SWG fans that have been waiting... Keep waiting, this is not the game for you, move along. Looks like one big instance fest, little world exploration, a non existent player driven economy, and the world/developers controlling a players actions as opposed to the person sitting at the keyboard.
Everyones role in this game I'm afraid will be to press the right combination of buttons... Had such high hopes for this one as well. I'm so sick of MMOs that instance me here, instance me there, instanced player city, instanced player neighborhood, instanced quests, ad naseum. These games all feel like single player games with a large multiplayer component, not a living breathing world(s) for players any more, they all feel like disneyland rides with strangers.
Everyones role in this game I'm afraid will be to press the right combination of buttons... Had such high hopes for this one as well. I'm so sick of MMOs that instance me here, instance me there, instanced player city, instanced player neighborhood, instanced quests, ad naseum. These games all feel like single player games with a large multiplayer component, not a living breathing world(s) for players any more, they all feel like disneyland rides with strangers.
Posted: Jul 10th 2010 1:22PM (Unverified) said
TOR CAREFUL YOU WILL STUM.....
*TOR stumbles upon its hype and falls down, smashing his head into criticism rocks and dieing*....
Oops.
Hopefully after TOR is killed by the hype it created, Bioware might consider making KOTOR III.
*TOR stumbles upon its hype and falls down, smashing his head into criticism rocks and dieing*....
Oops.
Hopefully after TOR is killed by the hype it created, Bioware might consider making KOTOR III.
Posted: Jul 10th 2010 1:29PM Miffy said
Nah SWG Pre CU made by CCP is my dream game.
Posted: Jul 10th 2010 1:42PM (Unverified) said
I really want to like this game, no really. I REALLY REALLY want to like this game. I want the same experiences I had in EQ2 and WoW in this game, making friends, running dungeons, learning about my class and so on. So far from what I've seen it's close but with things like bots it makes me wonder how much social interaction I'll have. I don't want solo through the entire leveling experience. I want group quests where I'll die if I try and do it myself.
Honestly I just want an MMO!
Honestly I just want an MMO!
Posted: Jul 10th 2010 1:48PM Taawa said
I guess Bioware is making the game it wants to run. I was hoping for an open, massively multiplayer game with realm-based pvp to replace WAR. I don't think SWTOR will be that game. Here's hoping a good rvr game comes out of nowhere. (Jumpgate maybe?) before WAR completely dies off.
Posted: Jul 10th 2010 1:52PM engrey said
I would have been fine if the game was WoW with lightsabers, however it looks more like DA:O/ME/KOTOR then an MMO at this point. Not to say it will not have MMO mechanics and systems, it does, BioWare is just focusing a lot of effort to the single-player. From full VO to companion characters in PvP/PvE. A lot of bad design decisions are being made right now, I would love for that to change but I doubt it will.
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Posted: Jul 10th 2010 10:20PM (Unverified) said
Kind of off-topic, but I'm hoping that's what Warhammer 40k from THQ is going to be. Better yet, I'm hoping that in some dark dungeon at EA Mythic (or Bioware Mythic) someone is working on Dark Age of Camelot 2.
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Posted: Jul 10th 2010 1:49PM Natasha said
As far as I am concerned, I will happily pay for a lifetime subscription to SWTOR. I am very happy with everything I have heard about it. Now, if only that elsusive special invite appeared in my inbox....
Posted: Jul 10th 2010 1:54PM (Unverified) said
I'm with you.
From my limited experience, it was a fun game. If the community turns out like LOTROs, I'll be a happy camper.
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From my limited experience, it was a fun game. If the community turns out like LOTROs, I'll be a happy camper.







