Star Wars: The Old Republic Previews
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The biggest problem I run into as an Imperial Agent is that it's pretty much impossible to traverse Hutta on foot without pulling in enemies, even if you stick to roads. And because I'm a cover class, it's a huge disadvantage when I'm not the one initiating an attack -- good luck finding a crate to hide behind when I've already got a giant chemilizard gnawing on my neck. There are defensive maneuvers, like a flash bang, which stuns nearby enemies for a few seconds so I can run, but it's tricky to flee without running straight into another batch of enemies.
However, Imperial agents can withstand a decent amount of damage before dying, and I'm able to rock some medium armor. I also get the benefit of the recuperate ability, which allows me to quickly heal up and recharge once I'm out of combat. Things get easier once I get my portable cover, which allows me to instantly set up a virtual shield.
It's most fun when I team up with two bounty hunters on a heroic quest, where we're running through tunnels and taking out packs of chemilizards and humans. I like being able to hang back and snipe and shoot toxic darts while they draw most of the damage. However, if you're someone who likes being the star of the show, Imperial Agent probably isn't the right class -- my attacks are a lot less flashy than the bounty hunters, who get some crazy move where they hover in the air and rain down lightning on enemies.
And then there's a surprisingly negative preview on Bit-tech:
The plotlines that we saw wouldn't have been gripping even if they had been populated with Oscar-winning actors, however. Cast in the role of a bounty hunter, our class-specific tale revolved around an event called The Great Hunt a supposedly secret bounty hunter championship which everyone we met was incongruously aware of. Sponsorship is expensive, however, so the first arc of the quest involved trying to impress the local Hutt ganglord.
Normally this wouldn't be an '˜arc' per se, it would be a single event. It would be a case of going to the Hutt in question, agreeing to take on a difficult mission to prove yourself, completing it and then moving on. Bioware has stayed close to the MMO template though, padding this portion out so that what would have normally take an hour or so in a standard RPG now takes an entire day of play. The local Jabba stand-in always has one more errand to offer you.
It quickly gets duller than a foam lightsaber, even with dozens of bounty hunters running around in a chaotic bid for not-Jabba's attention.
