Star Wars: The Old Republic Preview
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A writing team four times larger than BioWare's standard (which is already significantly girthier than your typical game writing team, being in the "double figures") drawing from all of the developer's past titles ensures there'll be wealth of different characters in The Old Republic. Though how you'll meet them and how they'll stay unique to you is unclear. "We had a challenge when we realised that players running about in a public world will eventually see their companion running about with another player," admits Ohlen. "Athough we've solved it." How? Procedurally generated party hats? He laughs: "I can't tell you how, but we've solved it."
If you think this is sounding more like a single player RPG than a persistent online game, that's because it really does, The Old Republic is deeply rooted in BioWare's experience in offline adventuring. Even the company's morality system has survived the genre transition, pegging you as a light or dark character based on your actions, regardless of your chosen faction. Even in the first few hours of the game the quests will have multiple outcomes based on player choice. Those outcomes will impact on the story, something no popular MMO has ever attempted.
The delineation of sides won't be as neat as your usual Alliance and Horde division. As in KOTOR, you'll find Dark Jedi trying to spoil their faction's well-preened image. Similarly, Sith characters can do good deeds like any other, even if they'll presumably have less lightning at their fingertips.
