Posted By Nobunaga about 1 year, 5 months ago
"Mr. Scott, beam me down to-… oh wait ahhrggg!"
Over the weekend, Patrick Malott one of Bioware Austin’s Game System Designers made a sizable post delving further and further into one of Star Wars: The Old Republics most interesting features, Crew Skills. We’ve already seen a small write up over here, but other than the pre-packaged information, we were left hanging and questions remained unanswered. Well Mr. Malott hopes to answer a bit more for the fans all the while stating that his work on SWTOR has been his “Dream Job”.
Working on a Star Wars MMO and bringing the entire universe to life amongst a crew at Bioware sounds just about right for the dream job of a great number of gamers. So without any further wait, lets set the astrodroids to take us to hyperspace away from reality as we delve into this latest Blog Post over at Bioware.
"I need guns… lots of guns…"
The first thing you’ll notice is the announcement and delving into the Fourth Profession available to crew-skills, “Armstech”. While Mr. Malott describes it in much more detail, the end result is that this skill allows you to make weapons, guns more specificly. Sorry, no Katana crafting here… but apparently creation of some of the more bad ass and rare of items might well take as long as a real-world Katana to construct. In a market where most ‘crafting’ systems take seconds or even complete in an instant (EvEOnline of course not withstanding, and others of course), it’s a nice refreshing change to see a company take a long look at crafting and allowing time to slip in as a factor in an item’s creation.
Malott writes, “When we designed the Armstech crafting skill, we envisioned what materials make sense in The Old Republic. We spent hours reading online, referencing books and novels, talking with colleagues, and utilizing all the Star Wars™ resources we could find to help define the perfect materials for Armstech. Once we laid out the materials, the rest of the system fell comfortably into place. Players who choose Armstech as their crafting skill will be able to create a wide range of blaster pistols, blaster rifles, sniper rifles, and assault cannons. To create these powerful weapons, you’ll need to get your hands on the right materials. Scavenging, a gathering skill, supplies the metals, alloys, and other materials you’ll need for Armstech.”
While I’m by no means a lorebook of the Star Wars universe, I have no doubt that this was no small task to go back and pull together the information required to make this crafting system work properly.
"Chewie, craft me a bowcaster! Stat!"
Another notch in the ‘specific information we didn’t know before’ list is the 5-Crewman 5-Queue segment of the post. In it, Malott talks about how each player will be limited to 5 crew members, each with their own skill sets, Affection Ratings (which will effect how fast they do something, and how well they do it), and Queued Lists of Tasks. Each crew member can hold a list of 5 tasks that he will execute in succession. If a task requires resources they are taken from your stores and away they go, reporting back when finished. He even restates what we had been told before, that much like a few other games, crafting and crew skills will continue even when you are offline. Going on vacation? Queue up a listing of the longest-running missions and crafting assignments and grab that flight, they’ll be done before you know it.
As for the arrival and release of Star Wars: The Old Republic? Well, that can’t get here soon enough. I myself look forward to exploring this game in great detail… and bringing a shadow of darkness to these Light-Blinded Jedi once and for all!
…you can view the whole article here if you’d like of course… *cough*
"I'm sorry Captain, he just followed me home…"
MMO Grinder Sidequest is a quick look at MMOs I wouldn’t normally review, be it through limited trial accounts, or Closed Beta games. First up, it’s the oft requested Star Wars The Old Republic.
At the Star Wars Guild Summit there was a video shown to the attendees that detailed the upcoming 1.2 Mega-Patch. Finally, after much waiting, comes the actual clear and HD version of that video…
Last week saw EA and BioWare’s investors receiving a few updates on their many investments.
After a highly successful launch and almost first month in service, the time for the
The Disciples of Hatred and it’s Roleplayers Contingent take on some PvP in the Star Wars: The Old Republic Beta
Announcing the first gathering of the Disciples of Hatred during the Beta Weekend Stress Test! …and of course that silly Jedi Consular progression video too.
Your questions FINALLY answered! What are the best aspects of the game? Why this MMO than any other? Do we get to kill Jar Jar? All this and more in ToR Q&A #1!
At the Star Wars Guild Summit there was a video shown to the attendees that detailed the upcoming 1.2 Mega-Patch. Finally, after much waiting, comes the actual clear and HD version of that video…
Last week saw EA and BioWare’s investors receiving a few updates on their many investments.
After a highly successful launch and almost first month in service, the time for the
The Disciples of Hatred and it’s Roleplayers Contingent take on some PvP in the Star Wars: The Old Republic Beta
Announcing the first gathering of the Disciples of Hatred during the Beta Weekend Stress Test! …and of course that silly Jedi Consular progression video too.
Your questions FINALLY answered! What are the best aspects of the game? Why this MMO than any other? Do we get to kill Jar Jar? All this and more in ToR Q&A #1!
Angry Joe shares his SWTOR Beta Gameplay impressions as he creates his Sith Lord, engages in combat as a warrior and partakes in joyful prisoner torture!
MMO Grinder Sidequest is a quick look at MMOs I wouldn’t normally review, be it through limited trial accounts, or Closed Beta games. First up, it’s the oft requested Star Wars The Old Republic.
Angry Joe shares his SWTOR Beta Gameplay impressions as he creates his Sith Lord, engages in combat as a warrior and partakes in joyful prisoner torture!
Pledge your Allegiance to either Darth Joe and the Sith Empire or Spoony Wan and
Last week saw EA and BioWare’s investors receiving a few updates on their many investments.
The Disciples of Hatred and it’s Roleplayers Contingent take on some PvP in the Star Wars: The Old Republic Beta
Announcing the first gathering of the Disciples of Hatred during the Beta Weekend Stress Test! …and of course that silly Jedi Consular progression video too.
Your questions FINALLY answered! What are the best aspects of the game? Why this MMO than any other? Do we get to kill Jar Jar? All this and more in ToR Q&A #1!
Angry Joe shares his SWTOR Beta Gameplay impressions as he creates his Sith Lord, engages in combat as a warrior and partakes in joyful prisoner torture!
Much like the Jedi, you were deceived. I was in the beta test all along! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
The official Star Wars: The Old Republic forums have been updated with a new post from Allison Berryman who has written that the beta invites for the third beta weekend for SWTOR are being sent out to hungry fans everywhere…
Back from the Con, and it’s time for more Star Wars goodness! Bring on the trailers!
top of crafting system I’ve read! I’d just like share swtor crew skill guide – to help you out which crew skills to take as the game launch before dec 20.
http://swtorcreditsreviews.com/crew-skills-guide/
@RenegadeRed
Okay so let me get this straight, your argument breaks down like this: limit the crafting to just a few basic variations (just like in KOTOR 1-2) and alienate a huge crowd of people that enjoy an intricate, rewarding crafting system in their MMOs, while changing the game to a free-to-play model that would not allow for it to be self-sufficient at launch.
You clearly have some issues and biases here because you don’t want there to be any KOTOR MMO. You just want KOTOR 3. I get that, but don’t take it out on a well-made crafting system that caters to both fans of crafting, people who’d rather ignore it and everybody in between. Your arguments are silly and you’re silly for making them.
I also find it quite interesting that you’d accuse me of making any strawman argument when you’re the one saying that you’ll be able to “combine 50 overpowered crystals into one mega-lightsaber” without any evidence whatsoever to back up your claim.
You’re talking out of your ass, and I’m willing to bet that it’s just because you’re butthurt over the fact that you’ll have to pay monthly to get this amazingly crafted sequel that you’ve been waiting for since KOTOR II. It’s an MMO, and because of that fact it’s going to have far more work put into it, more funding and more care for the fans’ sensibilities than any sequel you might have wanted ever could have had.
I disapprove. This long crafting system is just a way to artificially lengthen TOR so that you keep paying the monthly fee.
KOTOR 1 and 2 didn’t have this bullshit, but MMOs are different (and evil) in that they want to keep you hooked for as long as possible by any means possible. Even if those means include slowing down your game progress to get you to dish out more money, while making you feel like you’re doing something worthwhile even though it’s all just an illusion.
An MMO is just a sophisticated brain-trap for humans.
Having said that, I love the Star Wars universe and may still buy this game for the story if nothing else. I’m still kind of undecided about this game: I’ll wait for Angry Joe’s review!
Well, it’s not like you have to wait until a crafting mission is completed before you can do a quest. The whole point of this system is that you can automate your companions to do crafting for you, while you are out experiencing all the quests, pvp, dungeons, and other game content. Unlike crafting systems in other MMO’s where you have to take time out of doing quests or dungeons in order to gather materials for crafting, and spending hours doing repetetive mining or whatever gathering you need. Technically it limits the amount of progress you can make in crafting in a day, but you’re not spending much of your time focusing on it, you’re free to do whatever content you like as your companions are doing the gruntwork.
You merely prove my original point when you say: “Technically it limits the amount of progress you can make in crafting in a day.” The rest of your post merely puts this fact in a more positive light, but does not change it. Of course you’re free to view it in any way you wish, but realize that I’m also free to view it from my perspective: the perspective that I don’t have as much time to waste as someone else might.
Also, your response compares TOR to other MMOs currently on the market and makes the point that TOR is not as bad as those other MMOs in time-consuming crafting tasks. However, my original post was comparing TOR to it’s predecessors and not other current MMOs. Compared correctly, my point still stands.
You’re totally right! They should make TOR not have a crafting system so that the backlash ruins all chances of the game being commercially successful! And if there MUST be a crafting system of some kind, you should be able to craft whatever you want instantly from any parts that you want all day every day without restriction so that the game is entirely unbalanced and everybody who did subscribe drops off within a week! /sarcasm
It’s easier to write sarcastic quips and build strawmen instead of actually think right?* Nobody said that there should be no restrictions to crafting; you just made that up in a pathetic attempt to sound clever/funny/whatever passes for “sardonic” in your empty brain.
Recall that while crafting in KOTOR1-2, the player is still restricted by the materials. For example, you can’t just combine 50 overpowered crystals into one mega-lightsaber, but must choose carefully which type of crystal to insert into a limited number of slots to strategically complement your character’s build. Oh and you can craft that lightsaber instantly, without having to pay a monthly fee. Did I mention that already?*
* = Sarcasm
Probably the best approach to crafting I’ve seen in an MMO in a while: let somebody else do it for you.
This crafting system of theirs seems to be a perfect solution to a number of quesions. Not only does it give reason to have a full party when only one companion can follow you at a time, it also fits better in a sci-fi setting to have an assembly-line of people all doing seperate jobs for one project, rather than only having the one player doing the whole process by himself, which better fits the fantasy setting of most other MMO’s. Combine that with a system that promotes organizational skill over actual playtime spent, and I think this crafting system will be amazing.