Posts Tagged ‘Ord Mantell’

Updated Advanced Classes

Today a press release by Georg Zoeller, the principal combat designer from Star Wars The Old Republic, detailed many of the combat classes and upgrade the developers at Bioware currently have in the works.

Advanced classes are essentially specialisations chosen by players, which moulds their characters to their play style, making them more effective and powerful in combat. Many of these have been discussed in earlier posts, and they offer players wide ranges of choice in terms of what they wan tto do in game.

Each class has two advanced classes, which are split into three skill trees. There is one tree for each advanced class, then a generic progression tree for the general profession which can be upgraded by players from either side.

Characters level up through experience, and each level can give characters access to new abilities. There are three main sources of these. First, trainers (such as those in Star Wars Galaxies) offer players of their specific profession upgrade choices. Secondly, there are specific advanced-class trainers which offer further specialisation in their chosen field, and finally players can spend points themselves (without what might be valuable guidance from the trainers) in their character’s skill trees.

Much the same as in other MMORPGs, in SWTOR players can look at all the available boxes, and detailed descriptions accompany each one saying what the abilities do, how powerful they are, and what the pre-requisites are. This means players can plan right from their first hour in SWTOR where they would like their character to go, and make choices throughout their game play to achieve this.

As mentioned many times previously each of the advanced classes are good for different things. For example, smuggler’s Gunslinger class offers high Mid – Long rande damage, as well as dual wielding capabilities. In contrast to this, their Scoundrel class offers Close to Mid range damage dealing, some healing capabilities, and they wield short range scatter guns.

Although these classes are quite specific, short range classes still have some long range attacks, and long range classes are likewise, so players will never be left out of the fight due to their advanced-class point choices.

Also in this press release Georg revealed how they are tracking current testers, which includes advanced analysis techniques such as building 3d maps of player deaths. By doing this Bioware hopes to have the game as perfectly balanced and optimised as possible before release, and there should be no bugs, hitches, or otherwise impossible feats required of players when it goes live.

Until then, we look forward to hearing more about class specialisation and hope to see some more great updates.

Ord Mantell

Ord Mantell is another planet which has featured in many Star Wars Books, Comics and Games. In The Old Republic it is like most of the galaxy at the time, a very violent planet. Decades of civil war have laid waste to its environment, and the fighting between Republic troops and the separatists resisting their rule does not look like it shall cease in the foreseeable future.

 

Ord Mantell was apparently settled during the early days of the Republic by Corellian colonists, so it is another very humanised world. Also like Corellia, it became something of a breeding ground for Smugglers, Bounty Hunters and other even less classy characters.

The signing of the Treaty of Coruscant marked the start of Ord Mantell’s civil war, as many underground groups wanted to see the planet pry itself free of the controlling hand of the Republic. Ord Mantell is currently the starting planet for Republic Troopers and Smugglers, so it will most likely be a low level world providing many missions for them to train on. They will get a chance to face off against less organised separatist factions whilst still on planet before their journeys take them out into the Galaxy to join the fight against the Empire. This should make it an ideal place for these players to learn their trades, as it will simulate the war torn environment that is most of the Republic during the events of SWTOR.

Before SWTOR Ord Mantell appeared in Star Wars Galaxies, although only as a space zone. Players were able to travel there to accept various pilot missions, although their ships were restricted to landing at the orbital space station.