It's coming...

So as we spoke about on previous episodes, Bioware is poised to make a huge announcement this Tuesday. Apparently, it's about something that has been rumoured about for years and is what we have all been waiting for. My money is on Shattered Steel Online, but for some reason a bunch of people think it's going to be a Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic MMORPG. So, with these people in mind, here are some things that I really hope to see if it does pan out to be KotOR online.

1. The Jedi Trap- In short, don't fall into it.  This game would have the benefit of being set in a time where Jedi haven't been hunted to nigh extinction.  So, unlike other games where you can't walk a foot without tripping over a lightsaber in world said devoid of Jedi (You know who you are), you will have a world that still has a Jedi Council and an active training/recruiting program for Jedi.  This doesn't mean that being a Jedi should be easy though.  I think a Jedi should be the hardest class to level in game.  Maybe have a completely different leveling system for them.  Make their leveling more of a quest based, task completion sort of leveling system.  So instead of grinding out XP, you have to complete a very long series of quests and tasks that have been given to you by the Jedi council.  So you can grind on a nest of Womp Rats all you want, but you won't get anywhere.  In an ideal world, I would love to see you be required to group with a "Master" until you're no longer a padawan, but that is kind of a hard thing to balance and make actually work in game.  Basically, a Jedi's life is completely different than anyone else's in the Galaxy, the gamplay experience should reflect that.


2. Jedi Trap Pt.2- There is more to the Star Wars Universe than Jedi. It is important not to forget this when designing a game. Galaxies had some great idea for classes, but it never really worked out in my opinion. As a Smuggler, I never smuggled. I want to actually get to smuggle goods and make money. I want to be a shadow character in this otherwise rube filled world. I want bounty hunters that actually hunt down players. I want a lot, but I know Bioware has a lot to offer. I hope that they, like Blizzard, can redefine the MMO industry. The thing that I hope the redefine the most is issue #3.


3. Story- KotOR left us with a lot of unanswered questions. I want a grand epic story that sucks me in and makes me want to continue playing the game. I want story updates through patching of the game, not just expansion sets. I want a clearly living world that changes and isn't static. I want over the top epic NPCs leading battles again each other for the fate of the universe. I know as a fact I won't get the experience that I want from this game. I don't think the technology and game design in general has reached what I personally want out of an MMORPG, but I think Bioware has the ability to push it in the direction that I want to see.


4. Skywalkers- I don't want to see a single fucking character named Skywalker.


5. Dialogue- I want Bioware's standard branching dialogue system. I don't want to have a one track conversation like you get in most other MMORPGs.


6. Mandalorians- I want a lot of Mandalorians. Nothing else. They play a part in both games before and a huge part of the comic book. I want them. No excuses.


7. Jedi Council- I want to see a lot of the Jedi Council. I honestly just want to see a lot of politics at work. I want each planet to have it's own police and local government. I want to do tasks for them. I want to become a folk hero on some backwater planet. I want to be faceless on Courescant (did I mention, I want to be able to go to Courescant?).

So there you have it kids, a short list of things I want to see (or don't want to see) in a KotORO. Check back Wednesday, I'm sure I will have a post about whatever was announced and I'm sure we will dedicate a chunk of the show this week to whatever they announce.