With the new CGI trailer at E3, BioWare has sparked a large discussion about Star Wars: The Old Republic. What can players expect in the new expansion Knights of the Fallen Empire? What will happen to the Republic and the Empire? How will the game evolve from now on?
The Story: What We Know So Far
Especially around the storyline, there is a lot of excitement. We try to summarize the facts: Shortly after the Shadow of Revan story, the player characters are frozen in carbonite. Several years pass during which the events of the trailer take place. A new, third faction led by Emperor Valkorion emerges.
The “immortal Emperor” sends out his two sons and destroys both the Republic and the Empire along with their greatest leaders in a large-scale war.
Sith and Jedi are defeated, the temples on Korriban and Tython lie (once again) in ruins. After all this has happened, our player character awakens from carbonite sleep – as a remnant of an old war and the last hope for the galaxy.
The Companions: Scattered to the Winds
Even though the companions have been waiting loyally on our ships for years, the many years of our absence will ensure that they scatter in all directions. Vette, Khem’Val, Scorpio, and all the others are gone and must be found again, as they have moved on with their lives.
What is narratively very cool and finally gives the companions more scope for their own stories also leaves some gameplay questions unanswered: What will happen to the crafting professions? Will we be unable to use them as long as all companions are away? I personally would find that consistent and great, but I can already see the outcry in the forums.
Typical BioWare Quest: Gather Troops and Select!
From then on, we are promised a typical BioWare adventure. Whether it’s Mass Effect or Dragon Age, at some point you always have to gather as many allies as possible to defeat a big enemy, now also in SWTOR. We will renew old alliances (such as with Lana Beniko, the probably most lovable Sith in the game – no discussion tolerated) or we can betray old allies to impress other factions. Those who wish to get in good with the Hutt Cartel may not have much reputation with the enslaved Twi’lek women.
It is promised that these decisions will have massive impacts and significantly influence our story. Let’s hope that in the end, it will be more than just an epilogue in different colors.
Jump Straight to Level 60
Knights of the Fallen Empire is designed for level 60 characters. To give both new and old players the chance to jump directly into the expansion, there will be the option to create characters directly at level 60. Anyone who owns the expansion (subscribers get it for free) will be able to create a character directly at level 60. Existing characters cannot be “boosted”, only newly created ones. Those who want more than one level 60 can purchase additional upgrades for cartel coins at any time.
It is still unclear whether it will make a difference in the storyline if we are a fresh level 60 bounty hunter or an inquisitor veteran who had a seat on the Sith council, created lords, conquered planets, and slept with Lana Beniko. It would be a shame if previous events had no impact on the future at all.
What Happens to Fortresses, Ships, and the Fleet?
Many questions remain unanswered. I can hardly imagine that in the years of carbonite sleep, no one sold my Sith’s ship. Unless my Azshara watched over it all these years. I also doubt that my fortress on Dromund Kaas has withstood the end of the war unscathed.
Still, I do not believe that BioWare will “take away” such features from the players. Maybe SWTOR will solve these problems as before: different timelines. The actions of the planets take place at different times. Thus, several years elapse between training on Korriban (levels 1-10) and the battles on Corellia – after all, no young Sith becomes Darth in just two weeks.
A definitive answer to many questions was left unanswered by E3. Nevertheless, Knights of the Fallen Empire promises to revitalize the game and lead it in a new direction and into a new future – a future where the story takes center stage and the rather unpopular “MMO aspects” lose significance.
