Jediphile

Yeah, I know. I may be grasping at straws, but I have to hold onto the last bit of hope, right? Oh, I guess that means I'm one of the good guys -yes, I knew it. There you have it, I'm not a darksider

There is another possibility for the this rumored MMO, though. We know that LA registered the "Old Republic" recently. Maybe this is an MMO developed to take place in a period of Star Wars that has so far gone unexplored. I mean, we know lots about the Great Hyperspace War around 5000 BBY or the Great Sith War and the KotOR games around 4000 BBY, Darth Bane around 1000 BBY or the movies era, etc. But there are other times that are virtually explored. What happened around 2500 BBY, for example? No idea. That is definitely "Old Republic" even though it's not what most of us would call KotOR. It might be all the same to Riccitiello, though, which could explain why he can say there such an online game, while LA says it has nothing to do with KotOR. And another thing, people would want to play jedi in such a game, and frankly post-TSL would be terrible for this. Why? Because the purge of the Sith Triumpherate virtually wiped out the jedi order in TSL to such an extent that the Sith thought the exile was the only one left. You'd want an era for an MMO where there could be loads of jedi, and in the years after TSL, there would indeed be few. Besides, Bioware seems to like the idea of doing original IP. A Star Wars MMO would not be that, but they could establish an entirely new segment inside the franchise with their own jedi order and sith lords as they see fit by placing the action at another time.

Well, I peeked at Lucasforums and was positively surprised that they seemed to share most of the sentiments expressed here. Funny, though, since my visits to that place has not left me with the best of impressions of that crowd...

Unlikely. In fact, unlikely to the point of "just not gonna happen." Reason: Oversaturation. Besides, Lucasarts has held the position for several years that they will only release so many Star Wars games per year for that very reason. KotOR represents only a distinct segment within the franchise. That being the case, how great are the chances that they will then release two games within the same segment of the franchise and thereby postponing games for the rest of the franchise - games that would target the same partial fanbase? Answer: Astronomically low. Of course Lucasarts want to break into the MMO market and rake in the cash. Looking at WoW, most publishers see $$. Why would Luca$art$ be an exception? And if they decide to base this on KotOR, then what are the chances that they'll try to force the sizeable KotOR fanbase onto that MMO on the logic of "well, what else are you going to play if you like KotOR?" The odds of that way of thinking are pretty good. Or at least so they think. I may want single-player KotOR3 and be vocal in my support of it, but if Lucasarts is indeed in collaboration on a KotOR MMO, they've already decided that in spite of my protests, I'll probably play KotOR MMO over a non-KotOR game. If they release KotOR3 at the same time, then they'll allow me an out to give KotOR MMO a miss, effectively releasing to games competing for the same Star Wars gamer demographic. They simply won't do that. They're wrong, though. I won't be paying a monthly fee, and since that is the major incentive for Luca$art$ pursuing a KotOR MMO, it means I will be a lost customer. I have yet to be enticed by an MMO. There are even free MMOs out there, but I still don't play them. They just don't appeal to me. Of course, losing me as a customer is probably not a big deal. The problem only arises if a sizeable portion of the KotOR fanbase feel the same way I do. Now, I'm still not entirely convinced of an upcoming KotOR MMO. This story is based on the EA CEO, not representatives of Bioware or Lucasarts, speaking to ONE reporter without confirmation from Bioware or Lucasarts (yes, I know EA own Bioware, but they are not the same - EA is a corporation which recently bought Bioware as a somewhat independent developing division under the parent company). So I think retraction is still a possibility. I'll admit, though, that with time passing without comment from Lucasarts, they are essentially confirming the rumors through their silence. It would be very easy to put a press release saying that rumors of a KotOR MMO are not true. However, that has not happened. It's sad, though, because either way, if reports of a KotOR MMO are indeed true, then single-player KotOR3 is quite dead, I fear. Gone and buried. It's dead, Jim. Because if there is a KotOR MMO, then it will play out one of two ways. If the game succeeds, LA will declare the move to MMO successful and build on it, never returning KotOR to its single-player milieu. But if the game tanks, it still won't revive single-player KotOR3, because LA will then decide that interest in the era has waned, as the fanbase did not support the game, and so discontinue further games in KotOR-segment of the franchise. The worst part is that the current fanbase of the games may not have a voice. They can embrance or hate the MMO, but even if they turn against it, they could do so only to see a new MMO-loving fanbase embrace it and giving it success, in which case LA will still declare the success as per scenario number one above, not caring who the fanbase is as long as they can rake in the MMOney. Either way, a KotOR MMO seems to be a deathblow to KotOR games the way I like to play them. If LA confirms a KotOR MMO, it'll be a dark day indeed

Well, first, thanks. We like to think that is true of us, obviously. However, as Xard points, Obsidian has no say in this. Sadly, I might add, since Obsidian wanted to do a content patch for TSL (which LA shut down) and has stated several times they wanted to do K3. Had it been up to Obsidian, development of K3 would long since have begun. Heck, given how quickly they did TSL despite having more than a 10th of the schedule cut, we'd probably all be playing K3 by now. But Obsidian has no say in this, except to whether they want to do the game or not. And we know that they did. If you want to lobby for this, you need to direct your attention towards Lucasarts. They own Star Wars, and whatever they decide is law for the franchise, both as the publisher and as the owner of the franchise. Neither Obsidian nor Bioware has any say in this. They own neither the universe nor the characters in it.

Or at least they think they can. MMOs do not always work out [cough]SWG[/cough] - ah, sorry 'bout that...

As much as I'd like a single player KotOR3 to be developed by Obsidian, this suggestion is both pointless and way, way too late. If Riccitiello is quoted correctly and LA and Bioware are working on KotOR MMO, then the decision has already been made - the existence of the project (though we didn't know what it was then) was revealed half a year ago, which presumably means that storyboards, plot development and programming has long since begun. LA will not throw all that to the winds. Besides, internet-campaigns never succeed and are always pointless. So don't waste your time. I hate the idea of a KotOR MMO, and I can say right now that I won't be paying monthly fees for playing such a game. I think it's a bad idea for LA to alienate the KotOR fanbase, which so far praises the KotOR games for their immersive, epic single-player plotlines and experiences. But unfortunately, if LA has decided on this course, then the ONLY way to make them see the error of their ways will be when the game tanks and Kotorians slash the finished (!) product and refuses to buy it. Gaming execs are no different than movie execs - no argument will ever persuade them that their terrible ideais just that except the cold, hard facts of failure and lost profits... sadly.

Agreed. And thinking about it, this would then be the second time this year Riccitiello has really mucked things up for LA/Bioware regarding KotOR, since it was his powerpoint presentation that caused all the fuss in febuary as well. http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox/star-wars-k...404134825236032 How often does the CEO get to do that before (1) Lucasarts tears up the contract (for the reasons you describe above) or (2) EA kicks outthe CEO for mucking things up again?

Or he could go on a hunting trip with **** Cheney

Nah, it was a damn bomb. Severe injuries. We shall see if it survives... Tonight's news. Terrorrist bombing at KotOR fifth year anniversary party. Film at 11.

The odd thing is that the sites of neither Lucasarts nor Bioware says anything about this. http://www.lucasarts.com/company/release/ http://www.bioware.com/bioware_info/news/ http://www.lucasartsbioware.com/ That and the fact that this story originates from a single source with the EA CEO speaking to one reporter makes me very suspicious. Surely LA would have said something by now, which suggests Riccitiello's comments were not coordinated with LA. I suspect there is a lot of EA/LA correspondence going on right now and possibly the PR divisions working overtime.

Erm, that article IS the source of all the speculation - Joystiq.com linked directly to this article and even mentioned the guy who wrote it. N. Evan Van Zelfden is the one source of this story.

Erm... Could we allow Lucasarts to confirm or deny this game first? Pretty please?

I refuse to shout NO and will instead simply jump into the conveniently nearby bottomless pit...

Agreed. They have said in the past they only wanted to do IPs from then on, and then they promptly made a deal with Lucasarts, at which point I was certain that was untrue. To share your sentiment, I then thought, "yes, of course that game is your own IP - that's why you made a deal with Lucasarts. Right..." However, your observation is more likely to undermine Riccitiello's statements today, given the track-record, isn't it? EDIT: Another observation. How can Riccitiello even make this statement? Yes, I know, CEO of EA, which owns Bioware. But wait - Bioware is just the developer. We're talking about a Star Wars game here, which means Lucasarts is the publisher, since they own the Star Wars franchise. Isn't it ALWAYS the publisher who announce new games? I mean, this would be like if Obsidian suddenly announced K3 without confirmation from LA. Could that even happen? I could imagine game developers getting dropped from a deal due to breach of contract for less... And EA/Bioware is the developer here, not the publisher.

Well, somebody is lying as far as I can tell. IGN quoted LA for saying in febuary that the LA/Bioware project had nothing to do with KotOR, and now Riccitiello allegedly says the LA/Bioware project is KotOR online. I don't see how that can all be true. There must be a lie or misquote somewhere. And I note IGN writes this today: "When contacted about the statement, BioWare deferred to LucasArts whose representatives told us that they currently have "nothing to announce" regarding their association with BioWare." Very confusing. I sense a retraction in the force...

Bioware is now a game developing division of EA, yes, but it is not the same thing. Riccitiello is boss of EA. By extension that makes him boss of Bioware, but he is not on the development team, and given how relatively recently Bioware was acquired by EA, he is an odd spokesperson for a deal that might have been made before his company bought Bioware. [Ahem] [/ahem] And all IGN did in that story was to report what was already reported elsewhere. That means they are informing the public of the rumors, which is very different from confirming them. And they don't confirm it either. Note how IGN says MMO with a question mark followed by "rumors and speculation"?

1. Yes other games are needed - each of them is supposed to make money for the company. 2. I'm uncertain how credible a sources Joystiq.com or Portfolio.com are. Even if IGN or Gamespot posted it, I'd be wary - we've seen far, far, far too many stories confirming a KotOR MMO, which were then shot down. Here, for example: http://www.gamespy.com/articles/851/851916p1.html 3. Bearing that in mind, I refuse to believe any statement about any KotOR as fact until they are stated by Lucasarts on their own sites. Anything else, and I mean ANYTHING else, shall be considered speculation and rumor, interesting though that may be to read. Remember, this is one report from one person. That alone makes the chances of a misunderstanding or similar something worth considering. 4. There is something odd about this story, too. Didn't LA choose not to appear on E3? Why would they do that, if a KotOR MMO is announced? Besides, why is the EA CEO spilling the beans? Wouldn't it be far more relevant for Bioware or Lucasarts to state this? I would have expected a big press conference on E3 rather than the EA boss saying this in an exclusive interview to a single person. Big story if true, sure, but that is virtually unheard of. At least there should be a confirming press release at Lucasarts' site, but nope - nothing there. 5. Read the update to the story on Joystiq. If this is true, Riccitiello says yes to the question of whether this game is KotOR Online. That is not necessarily the same as KotOR MMO. Look at GTA4. It has online components, but I wouldn't call it an MMO on that basis. 6. If this report is correct to the point that Bioware is working on a KotOR MMO, then, looking at my sig, either Lucasarts or IGN are flat-out liars! No middle ground, no excuses. Period! If Bioware is doing KotOR MMO, then someone is a filthy liar, and since I doubt it's IGN, I would never again believe any statement made to the press by Lucasarts, who would then deserve to have this pushed in their faces repeatedly at each and every press release ever made henceforth!! 7. A KotOR MMO would suck! Royally! KotOR games are cinematic stories with extensive, deep backgrounds for the main character. That is not possible in an MMO, because the background of the character has to be generic enough to allow for the all the various backgrounds players would want to choose.

It ties into the Sunry murder investigation, since that's where the deed was done. http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sunry

Damn. Now I feel old

Oh yes, tach, not gizka. Sorry. It's been a while since I played K1.

Nihilus lost in no small degree because the exile had an advantage Nihilus was totally unaware, but which Kreia knew full well and exploited to secure Nihilus' defeat. The exile is a wound in the force and has no force power of his own, so the moment Nihilus tried to drain him, he sucked a void or vacuum, which essentially meant his doom. They guard their higher powers far more than the jedi and so they seem more secret. The jedi can share knowledge of power, but a sith never could - a sith's greatest enemies are other sith, not the jedi. As Palpatine would say, all who hold power fear to lose it. It is and remains the player's choice. Revan's motive is whatever you want it to be. I don't think K3 will mess with that, mostly because there is no reason to - Revan is out there fighting the true Sith, and that's all the plot needs him to do. Well, Kreia said as much. She said the exile was the greatest she ever trained, which would mean greater than Revan, since she trained him as well. Then again, the exile being a wound in the force is something Kreia both admires and needs for her cause. The exile can resist the will of the force. There is nothing to suggest Revan could ever do that. So it might be argued Kreia liked exile more for that ability than for any choices made. Kreia is a difficult one to figure out. Malachor V is unlikely to appear in K3, since it was destroyed in the LS ending of K2. Besides, neither Korriban nor Malachor V are in republic space. I don't think we'll be playing Revan or exile in K3, though. More likely a new pc with Revan and exile being important NPCs in the plot. I'd see some initial part of the plot in republic space, but the majority in the unknown regions finding and fighting the true Sith. Lots of Sith worlds we know little about like Ch'hodos, Rhelg, Khar Delba/Khar Shian, Thule or especially Ziost. I don't think it's obvious that Revan wanted the republic to survive in TSL unless he is set to LS. If DS, you might as well argue that being unwilling to use the Starforge, Revan could not marshal enough forces to take the republic, so he might have sought out the true Sith to become their leader and then use those forces to attack the republic. I mean, that's a possible scenario, isn't it? Nope, it's fact because George Lucas says that's how it is, and his judgement is ultimate in Star Wars. If George says Palpatine is the most powerful Sith ever, then that's it. If he says Anakin is the chosen one, then so he is. We can love or loathe that all we want, it won't make any difference.

Wouldn't call myself an expert, but sure I've played those missions, even when playing LS (it's possible to do them and still get LS mastery). I don't want to go into specifics about all the missions though. Just read DSimpson's walkthrough here for that: http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/game/920601.html Most of the bounties are pretty straight forward. Your problem with the shapeshifter has no easy solution, I fear. He will hide himself as a tach with no way of detection (not that I've ever discovered anyway) no matter what you do. It is possible to chase him and find him if you're up to it, though I've only done it once myself. Otherwise, which is the more likely event, you'll have to gut your way through tach until you find the right one. The game will tell you when you do, since he will revert back to his original form upon death.

Hasn't been four years yet