Is Better PC Games of 2010?
Dec 20, 2009 Articles Recommend|1,316views
PC gaming - will it finally die in 2010? No. C’mon, stop already with that. Sure, 2009 had its ups and downs, PC gaming is very much alive and maybe looking healthier than ever in 2010.
Blizzard will, we hope, stick to its early 2010 release date for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the first entry in the planned real-time strategy trilogy. And the publisher developer is threatening to release two titles next year, including the third World of Warcraft expansion, Cataclysm.
But 2010 cannot survive on Blizzard alone. Blizzard and Valve? Maybe, but beyond more Left 4 Dead 2 and Team Fortress 2 content, we’re not sure what to expect. Episode III? Let’s not set ourselves up for disappointment.
Thankfully, there are many strong contenders due in the following year, including highly anticipated MMOs like Star Wars: The Old Republic, DC Universe Online, Star Trek Online and APB, to name but a few. So let’s take a look at what’s will be pushing PCs to their limits in 2010, starting right now.
Tags: Blizzard, DC Universe Online, Star Trek Online, Star Wars The Old Republic, world of warcraft
SWTOR Final Two Classes-Jedi Consular and Sith Inquisitor
Nov 23, 2009 Articles Recommend|892views
Fans of BioWare’s much-anticipated MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic received some good news today with a reveal of the game’s final two classes: the Jedi Consular and the Sith Inquisitor. The Jedi Consular is a support class specialized in healing, but with ranged offensive capabilities as well. The Sith Inquisitor, not surprisingly, is primarily a damage dealer. It seems the first word of the Jedi Consular and Sith Inquisitor classes came from a fan translation at Star Wars MMO.net of the German magazine “PC Games”.
The classes were confirmed earlier today by SWTOR Community Manager Sean Dahlberg who wrote: “Fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic will be in for a treat this week! Several magazines in North America and Europe will have articles that not only talk about The Old Republic but also reveal our final two classes: the Jedi Consular and the Sith Inquisitor!”
SWTOR fans are discussing the Jedi Consular and Sith Inquisitor classes on the official forums, and Dahlberg stated the HoloNet will be updated with more info on the newly revealed classes in December.
Tags: Jedi Consular, Sith Inquisitor, Star Wars The Old Republic, SWTOR
Star Wars The Old Republic Developer Blog-Creating the Smuggler
Aug 11, 2009 Articles Recommend|356views
Try this hypothetical scenario… you’re relaxing at the local cantina when three trigger-happy Rodian mercenaries pick a fight with the most attractive Jedi Knight you’ve ever seen. After the smoke clears, the Rodians are carried outside and the Jedi apologizes to everyone for making a scene. Do you:
- Crack a joke to relieve the tension;
- Demand the Jedi buy you a drink to replace the one that got spilled during the fight;
- Smoothly invite your new friend back to a private booth to get better acquainted.
The answer, of course, is (d) All of the above. What’s that, you say? “All of the above†wasn’t among your options? Consider that your first taste of the Smuggler lifestyle. It’s time to make your own options and never limit yourself to just one. Strict adherence to rules and regulations is something other people do. Smugglers make things up as they go.
Now wait a minute, I can hear you say. Nobody successfully flirts with Jedi Knights. There’s no point even trying. The Jedi Code forbids romance, they wield the most lethal conversation stoppers in the galaxy… and they’re kind of stuck-up. A Jedi would never accept an invitation from a scruffy-looking free trader, right? Wrong! Smugglers have remarkable track records for romancing people way out of their leagues. Just ask them.
Of all the stories in our game, the Smuggler ones are specifically written with an emphasis on humor and romance. If you’re playing this class, you get to say the funniest things (usually at the least appropriate times), and are always on the lookout for people who find charming rogues irresistible. You’ll be flirting with or laughing at the most exciting personalities in the galaxy: crime lords, gamblers, Bounty Hunters, senators, nobles, spies, Jedi and even Sith.
It’s not all witty one-liners and romantic conquests, either. Smugglers lead lives of high adventure, taking on jobs no one else is crazy enough to do and answering to no authority but their own. They also don’t have to risk their necks for free. Unlike pious Jedi or duty-bound Troopers, Smugglers are never out of line demanding a fee for their services. The Republic needs rogues to hit Imperial convoys? Sounds like fun, if there’s profit in it. The Hutts want illegal technology slipped past military blockades? No problem, as long as they pay in advance.
Are there Smugglers working for the Empire? Not really. In the Empire, the pay’s lousy, the hours stink and the clients are creeps. The Empire is all about controlling people. If Smugglers wanted to be told what to do, they’d get real jobs.
Not all of these spirited adventurers are mercenaries, of course. Some have hearts of gold and don’t worry about retiring to their own private moon. These heroes of the hyperlanes use their special talents to help the poor and downtrodden. It may not pay as well, but “honest†Smugglers make lots of friends. And when gangsters with informative names like Rogun the Butcher try to kill you, it’s nice having a few people you can rely on.
The most successful Smugglers surround themselves with trusty companions who are handy with a blaster when deals go sour. Han Solo had Chewbacca as backup, and Smugglers in our game will have their pick of several memorable sidekicks.
That’s not to say you can’t handle yourself. Smugglers are notorious for outwitting and outmaneuvering more powerful opponents. In a galaxy full of Lightsaber-wielding demigods who can lift starfighters with the power of their minds, most people underestimate “ordinary†folks armed only with blasters. That’s a big mistake. Smugglers are the best shots in the galaxy, and they can avoid being noticed until it’s time to make a big entrance. When they finally show themselves they have a variety of, shall we say, unorthodox combat moves that leave their enemies reeling. Jedi may see things before they happen, but Smugglers always shoot first.
The Old Republic™ is the first Star Wars™ video game to let players truly live the dream of being Han Solo or Lando Calrissian. Other games have let you engage in a bit of smuggling for profit or simulate “scoundrels†as a collection of stat bonuses, but none come close to delivering the humor, romance and just plain fun of being a wisecracking Smuggler who triumphs against all odds. Every member of The Old Republic team is committed to crafting the defining rendition of the Smuggler archetype.
Our combat designers have outdone themselves inventing powers to leave your fellow players laughing out loud and asking how you pulled off that stunt. The animation team is creating custom movements that perfectly evoke the sheer bravado and lightning reflexes Han Solo displayed when he took four (four!) shots at Darth Vader on Bespin. World builders tirelessly create dens of scum and villainy, populating them with the galaxy’s most notorious criminals. Artists craft all the small details that tie everything together, from sweet-looking blaster pistols to flashy outfits that put Lando’s wardrobe to shame.
Last but not least, the writing team has invested its tremendous love for snappy dialogue, outrageous characters and insane story twists into every aspect of playing a Smuggler. If you’re teamed-up with a Jedi or Trooper and chat with a NPC, you’ll always get to rattle off the best one-liners. If those other classes are looking to earn a few extra credits on the side, they’d be fools not to let you do the negotiating.
Well, looks like closing time at the cantina. Your new Jedi friend mentioned some high-risk, high-reward work in the Outer Rim. Those new Corellian engines everyone’s raving about are expensive, and credits don’t grow on trees. Besides, the job sounds simple enough. What could possibly go wrong?
Strap yourself in, Smuggler — you’re in for another exciting ride.