E3: Interview With James Ohlen
We were honored to gain more insight regarding class design, group sizes, character progression, and other topics from James Ohlen, Creative Director and Lead Designer of Star Wars: The Old RepublicFor the reason behind the latter and more, read on.
Design is a big focus, and today we learned a lot about combat and how it works with the player classes in group combat. We saw an example of the four Republic classes working together: the Jedi Knight, the Jedi Consular, the Smuggler, and the Trooper. Would you like to go a little more in-depth about how these classes can interact in a group setting?
Ohlen: We gave every single one of the classes different roles; much like the classic roles that you see in the MMO genre. That wasn't how we initially concepted the classes. The initial concept for the classes was that we wanted to get all the iconic characters from the movies into our game. We have the Bounty Hunter who is Boba Fett, we have the Smuggler Han Solo, Darth Vader's the Sith Warrior, etc. But once we had those archetypes, we wanted to make sure they also fit within the MMO norms. We wanted to have the DPS -- the damage dealer. We wanted to have the tank -- the guy who absorbs all the damage. We wanted to have the ranged DPS. So we looked at the classes.
For example, on the Republic side, the Jedi Knight is more of a DPS class. Though he can also -- depending on which Advanced Class he chooses -- go into more of a tank role. The Trooper is more of a tank role, but he is also a ranged DPS. The Smuggler is a ranged DPS and the Consular is more of a control character.
But you'll notice that I was saying that each of those classes could fill two different roles and that is because of our Advanced Class system. The Advanced Class system actually allows you -- once you reach level 10 -- to choose between two different roles.
So as the Jedi Knight, you can decide to go down more of a heavily-armored path where you have a single lightsaber, you have heavy armor, and you're more of a tank character who goes in there and absorbs damage. Or you can go down a path where you're much more of a DPS guy; where you're wielding double lightsabers and it is much more about dealing out damage fast. And each of the classes has that choice. It kind of allows us to give more class choice later on in the game.
We have a basic idea from what you just said about the Republic classes. We were only able to play two of the Sith classes today but we are Darth Hater, and we have a lot of Sith following us. In regards to the Sith classes, how does the Advanced Class choice shake up each one of those classes?
Ohlen: So on the Sith side we have the four classes: The Sith Inquisitor, the Sith Warrior, the Bounty Hunter, and the Imperial Agent. And the Imperial Agent is a ranged DPS character. He's actually quite unique because he uses cover; he is kind of our sniper character. He plays a lot different from any other class from any other MMO that I've seen. The Bounty Hunter is more heavily armored, and he can be a tank role though he can also do ranged DPS. The Sith Warrior is very much a tank character and the Sith Inquisitor is a control, or ranged DPS as well.
Now, the way they can change: the Sith Warrior can diverge, and he can go to the classic Darth Vader route which is wear really heavy armor, single lightsaber. If you're a Darth Vader fan, then that is who you want to be. And you're going to be the tank character: you're going to be able to take a lot of damage. Darth Vader deflects Han Solo's blaster bolts in the Empire Strikes Back. He is able to take a lot of damage. Or if you want to be more of a DPS guy, you can go more the dual lightsaber route and be much more of an aggressive character. And that's more like an Anakin Skywalker from Episode 2.
With the Inquisitor, you really get to choose between the Darth Maul route and the Emperor Palpatine route. So you know the Darth Maul route is you're very agile-wielding the saber staff and the Palpatine route is you're all about lightning and control powers, and you're more of a sorcerer than you are a lightsaber-wielder. You operate at range. If you're a fan of mages and sorcerers and all of that, then that is probably what you want to be.
So that is an interesting combination you have. We know about the Sith Marauder, the DPS Sith Warrior, then you've got the Maul route on the Inquisitor which is another light armored DPS. What's the difference between these two that makes them so distinct beyond the fact that they have unique stories?
Ohlen: There are a lot of visual differences obviously in the types of armor they wear. The Inquisitor is always in the light armor; the Warrior is always going to be in the heavier armor.
The types of lightsabers they use: the staff saber is restricted to the Inquisitor, while the dual lightsabers are for the Warrior. Also because of the core powers, the Inquisitor is always going to be more of a sorcerer type. He has things like the Dark Gift healing ability, the lightning powers. These are things that the Sith Warrior doesn't have. The Sith Warrior is very much our Darth Vader class. He has the telekinetic kill -- the choke -- that the Inquisitor doesn't. So they're always going to feel different. Sith Warrior is going to be about armor, much more lightsaber abilities, and more telekinetic powers like the Force Choke while the Sith Inquisitor has lighter armor, lightning powers, and feels more like a sorcerer.
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Posted 6/21/2010 1:44:31 PM- View User Profile
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Posted 6/25/2010 10:20:26 PM- View User Profile
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Posted 6/18/2010 7:19:30 AMAlso, I hope that advance classes are locked in once you pick them. It should be a meaningful, powerful choice you have to make...that's what Bioware games are to me...choice. I can also see this being the case, because in the past they have stressed the replay value of making a new class to see the different stories...well if you want your class to go down another path...guess you make a new one and try a different story too.
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Posted 6/18/2010 3:52:21 AMBah... wish they would just get on with releasing full information on the skills and AC trees already. I've enjoyed the specualtion as much as anyone, but it's starting to wear old now, and I'd like to at least be able to daydream about various character build possibilites if I have to continue to wait to get my hands on the game itself.
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Posted 6/18/2010 10:08:33 AMThe JC from the video we saw seems to be very much speced for healing and this will make a massive difference in PvP and raids if the Sith don't have someone that is equally good at healing. One thing I learned RvRing in WAR is that while tanks are nice a healer and a dps is much better than a tank and a dps. Cause sad to say that nobody attacks a tank in PvP till all the dps and healers are dead. After all they aren't the biggest threat to you and more they can't forfil their role if you ignore them.
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Posted 6/18/2010 7:46:17 PMThis is a common misconception that so many people have. They think that an Advanced Class in TOR is equal to a Talent Tree in WoW. This is NOT the case. An Advanced Class in TOR is equal to a Class in WoW. Just like classes in WoW, Advanced Classes in TOR will have talent trees, their own special skills, their own fundamental playstyle, their own gear restrictions, and it has even been mentioned in the past that Advanced Classes would have slight alterations in their story from their fellow Advanced Class.
Another class that has been mentioned might have healing abilities for the Empire is the Imperial Agent. They have been seen using probe droids that project a green energy wave onto the Imperial Agent and there is the possibility that this could be used on other classes as well. Since the Consular has healing abilities and the evil counterpart to it is the Inquisitor with its own healing abilities, the Imperial Agent is the evil counterpart to the Smuggler who also has its own ways to heal allies. So the reasonable conclusion is that the Imperial Agent does as well. If you notice these classes mirror eachother. Jedi Knight/Sith Warrior: Melee DPS with Melee Tanking capacities. Jedi Consular/Sith Inquisitor: Ranged DPS with some Melee DPS and Healing capacities. Bounty Hunter/Trooper: Ranged DPS with Ranged Tanking capacities. Smuggler/Imperial Agent: Ranged DPS with Cover Mechanics and Healing capacities.
As you can see, there will be no one-sidedness based on general class roles. That will be decided by how well Bioware balances the little details.
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Posted 6/18/2010 3:21:24 PMFrom what we've seen thus far of game play, it at least appears that the Warrior has some true "threat" potential in the form of agressive dps style attacks.
One friend of mine suggested that the way to make Tanks an ACTUAL threat in a PVP setting would be to make them "force multipliers" in addition to damage soakers. Meaning, they wouldn't be doing the DPS style damage themselves, but they would have an Aura or an area of effect around them that made every other class's abilities magnified significantly. That way, they really would be the first target you would want off the battlefield... strategically speaking...
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Posted 6/21/2010 9:26:01 PM- View User Profile
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Posted 6/18/2010 12:10:44 AM- View User Profile
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Posted 6/18/2010 12:02:04 AM- View User Profile
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Posted 6/17/2010 11:37:46 PM- View User Profile
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Posted 6/17/2010 11:35:38 PMFrom that I think we can take level 10 you get your advanced class and level 40 will be max at launch.
What did worry me a little is the constant saying that the Sith Warrior is a Tank, the Bounty Hunter is a Tank and the Agent and the Inquisitor are DPS. (I am paraphrasing) while the Republic seemed to have a much more rounded team with crowd control and healing thrown into the mix. Don't get me wrong I think Sith will have that but I hope it isn't as a secondary or after thought while the Republic have a good mix of primary skills. Also a little worried about all Sith Warriors being heavily armoured, I was under the impression it was going to be Tank or DPS not Full tank or Off Tank. Cause being an Off Tank makes finding a group bloody hard as you can't fill the tank role and you can't fill the DPS role. You end up just being an extra trying to dps.
Other than that some great information.
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Posted 6/17/2010 11:32:14 PMThat the Advanced Classes are permanent (which is something I argued feverishly about in support for) makes me breathe a long sigh of relief. Finally that whole debate is over. Now on to the next one about how people are still convinced that will change and why it should. Honestly though when you think about it, allowing a person to swap Advanced Classes, even if it is "expensive", is still creating a gear-sink. Like what would happen if a Rogue and Hunter came from the same base class and got to swap back and forth. Even for a price this would still mean that one player is absorbing so much gear from so many sources. If they can easily afford to do it then that won't be much of a deterrent.
That a trinity is in the game (even though it's not a hard trinity) was a little disappointing for me at first. However that was because I was worried about the one big problem that trinity creates and that's relying on one or two people whom which you can do nothing without. Seeing as how companions can make up for this and that these classes feel more like hybrids than the rigid roles means that the problems I experienced with other MMOs, such as WoW, won't be the same deal here.
Player ships acting as our own home is lovely. I was hoping this was the case. A place I can take my character to that actually feels like my very own. This also helps Bioware avoid having to create sprawling, barren areas for people to build homes or having to make a bland, instanced area that is the same for everyone. Plus... come on... it's your own SHIP! I can tell you right now if someone asked me "would you rather have a $10 million home or a spaceship with room to live in", I'd take that ship in a heartbeat.
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Posted 6/17/2010 10:51:24 PMI want to play as a dps SW and I want to use either a single lightsaber, or a double-bladed one like Darth Maul. End Rant.
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Posted 6/18/2010 8:23:13 PMAs far as the fighting style itself, even if I was to engage you in talking about the 'realism' of a science fiction video game... I would say that you're assuming the only reason for any kind of style in dual wielding is due entirely to weapon weight and that in this case the near weightlessness of a lightsaber means there should be no style. Are you forgetting about the opponent and what they're doing? If you are just swinging those two lightsabers around wildly with no style, well guess what, even the person with only one lightsaber who has better style and form than you will own you pretty much every time. You MAY get lucky. Combat is not simply about the weapons and their weight. It is also about the wielder and how they use them. As the saying goes "It matters who has the bigger stick, but who is swinging it matters much more".
If you want to play in the Sith Empire as a Melee DPS with a single lightsaber, then choose the Sith Warrior and then choose the Sith Juggernaut as your Advanced Class since it is most certain that they will have a talent tree dedicated to DPS (anyone who thinks that their three talent trees will all be tanking trees is just ridiculous). if you want to play in the Sith Empire as a Melee DPS with a lightsaber staff (double bladed) then choose the Sith Inquisitor and then choose their Darth Maul-inspired Melee Advanced Class.