Feeling Heroic: Putting the RPG in MMORPG

Bioware has a long history of making successful RPG's. However, many of you may recognize their work from more recent titles such as Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age, and of course the perennial Knights of the Old Republic. For those who have had a blessing of playing these fine games, you will notice one thing that stands out between their games and other developers: Story. The story of every Bioware game is rich and fills the world with life, making it believable through its living, breathing environments where its strange inhabitants naturally reside. This suspension of belief not only affects the world they are trying to create, but also the player himself/herself. Every game is crafted with a heroic tale where you feel you are the center of a crucial plot point in the history of the world. With the ability to affect the world and those around you, it is up to you to decide what you want to do and how you are going to do it. It is allowing the player choices that he/she can feel involved in an epic tale about to unfold. How then is this possibly going to work when millions of players want to be the hero of their own tale and change the galaxy to their liking?

This could be you!

The first part to achieving this is creating a believable story. Bioware has opted to achieve this through two means: good writers and voice talent. By establishing a core story for each class, Bioware has tailored practically 8 individual tales neatly woven into an immense intergalactic struggle. The writers they have hired for this project are veterans who have or are going to write books based in the Star Wars universe. Hence, these professionals are not only familiar with the universe itself but also hold some pride over their work. Having dedicated individuals working on something they are passionate about creates an astounding result that caters to the fans.

What are you fighting for?

Secondly, Bioware has hired familiar voice talents that have proven themselves in the past. These voice actors contribute some things not realized in other MMOs before and those are personal touch and attachment. Bringing characters to life not only immerse the player more into the experience, but also allows the player to care for the NPCs, their small struggle in the galaxy, and form attachments otherwise not found through conventional text boxes. Having someone speak to you about something they need help with is much better than opening a text box clicking "accept" and going to the designated way point just to level up as quickly as possible. Bioware knows that dialogue is important and through their polls from Mass Effect 2, they also know that ~78% pay attention during the dialogue sequences. This majority alone not only allows them to tailor their game in a cinematic style but will also attract players to The Old Republic.

Imperial Agent, a man of many mysteries.

The third key to success is having valuable companions and meaningful side quests. Everyone knows that playing alone is not as fun as when playing with others. We are attracted to other people because socially they are very different from who we are. By creating complex and interesting companions to travel by your side, it adds a sensation that the story revolves around you. These companions, with their own personalities and nuances contribute much more than just a gun for hire. They have their own viewpoints, fighting styles, contribution to crafting, and special skills which may be helpful to the you. Like Mass Effect 2, these companions' loyalty must be won through crucial, fleshed out side quests that let you form deeper attachment to who they are and who they become. If you are going Light Side, will you turn your most cynical companion into a true believer of your cause? Or if you are Dark Side, do you turn a once innocent slave into someone who believes they should enslave others for power? The choices are yours and that's what makes The Old Republic so intriguing.

Friend? Enemy? The choice is yours.

From these aspects and their past history of excellence, we can clearly see that Bioware knows exactly what they are doing to immerse the player in The Old Republic. As both a fan of Bioware and of Star Wars, I highly anticipate The Old Republic and encourage you to do so as well. Just like when Obi-wan encourages Luke to have faith in the force, please have hope in Bioware and receive their much dedicated project later this year. :)

Destiny Awaits