How the developers of Star Wars: the Old Republic craft choices in history

Sometimes an RPG hits the player with a choice that is legitimately difficult. It can be a moral dilemma or a question of what to sacrifice. Star Wars, The Old Republic is an MMO with a strong focus on narrative content, so the game has a lot of tough decisions designed to make the protagonist sweat. While the politics of the galaxy may change over time and new enemies appear or are defeated, the core of the game remains making those tough decisions.

The old Republic Developer BioWare Austin has been faithfully updating the game since it was first released in 2011. The upcoming expansion, Legacy of the Sith, introduces new endgame content in which players chase a rogue Sith Lord to the water planet of Manaan. The expansion also includes many major changes to the initial game. For example, new character creator options allow players to mix and match their skills, weapons, and storylines they experience, rather than channeling one of the eight paths with more stringent guardrails.

“We are continuing a story that began with our last expansion, and even before that with a plot,” said Charles Boyd, creative director of Star Wars, The Old Republic, in a call with Polygon. “A lot is happening with [Darth] Malgus, and he’s getting a bit mischievous. There is also a story in which a civil war is brewing among the Mandalorians. “

The Sith have continually been one of the high points of The old Republic. There is no Rule of Two, which means there are tons of them, and they are all constantly fighting. That conflict is great for game design, according to Boyd, because wherever the Sith go, the conflict continues: “With the Sith, it’s integrated. That’s their instinct, to bounce off each other as violently as possible.”

While there are plenty of new things to explore, it’s still worth stopping to check out those old campaigns, especially since the chaff has been cleared. Over the years, BioWare has been politely reducing the need for gamers to move. It’s possible to skip the campaign side quests, filler material, and initial expansion content like the Hutt cartels and dive right into the heart of intergalactic adventure, evil emperors, and moral choices. Something that makes the MMORPG feel like, well, an RPG is that the first few campaigns are still very relevant to the endgame story, and the player’s choices are important throughout.

Characters that players know, even during their early days, can be part of the mix again. “We have so many great characters, every time we set up a situation we think, OK, who would make sense for this?”Says Boyd. “We have a lot of set options that people already know and can be excited to see again, but it’s also challenging because it’s such a huge cast. We only have a limited number of canvases to paint at one time. “

Image: BioWare / Electronic Arts

But when you expand like Legacy of the Sith Come on, this huge cast can be a blessing. Characters like Lana Beniko are loyal to the player and have their own interpretations of Sith philosophy. Those characters and their influence on the player help set the stage for Darth Malgus and the Sith as antagonists. Different campaigns also meet different characters; While my Agent might know a murderer well, my Smuggler might be completely in the dark.

“Whenever we look at a scene, one of the key pieces we look at is, how can we trade this for a Sith Lord versus a bounty hunter versus a Jedi?” says Boyd. “You need the story to move in the same direction for almost everyone, because otherwise it would become a big mess. But we also want to honor who you are, or were when you started, and make sure the characters treat you in a meaningful way. “

Boyd continues: “We will know the general premise of where [the story is] going, and we think, Well, what would be the most interesting moral option? Sometimes they are not even the dark side or the light side; it’s about loyalty. Then we build the story around that and work backwards so that we can make it less about morals or your character and more about your personal involvement as much as possible. “

Image: BioWare / Electronic Arts

Legacy of the SithNew character creation options make rerunning campaigns an attractive option, as you can mix and match weapons and abilities from different classes under Force technology or umbrellas. Many of these old stories hold up remarkably well.

Dark Side Inquisitor, for example, is the craziest fun I’ve ever had in an RPG of any genre. I walked the galaxy as a total boss girl, electrocuting everyone who disagreed with me and dealing with administrators who were forced to treat me like a little girl with a gun. The Imperial Agent story is another great path, with some truly twisted decisions that can turn the player into a double or even triple agent.

Legacy of the Sith is currently scheduled to launch before the end of 2021. It will also begin The old RepublicThe 10th anniversary event, which runs through 2022.