Trooper Progression Video

It is now less than 2 weeks before E3 and you would be expecting Bioware to withhold information so that it can impress on the show floor. However, they have decided to treat us this Friday with a Trooper Progression Video, which means that they may have something more impressive ready to show at E3. It is alright to now be excited for the show and at the rate these videos are being released, you can definitely expect a release soon!

Georg Zoeller on SWTOR Cover System

Recently, questions have arisen concerning the importance and impact of the 'Cover' mechanic in SWTOR. To shine some light into issue, Georg Zoeller, one of the designers, had something to say regarding the matter. He goes on to explain how choosing different advance classes will result in different usage for the cover system:

"All Smugglers have access to cover, but depending on Advanced Class and Skill set, cover plays a less or more important role for your gameplay. A Gunslinger with lots of points in the Sniper tree will have made cover a core part of their combat routine, with abilities like 'Entrench' and 'Cover Pulse' improving the utility and protection their cover ability offers, while utilizing several 'cover only' abilities for heavy frontloaded damage. There's some interesting dynamics in this kind of setup as well, such as a skill that makes your next Snipe instant after rolling to cover... A Scoundrel on the other hand will have fewer abilities that modify their cover mechanic and can be played in a way that does not rely on cover very much or at all. Their Stealth Field generator allows them to approach targets unseen and they have a decent arsenal of close to mid range scatter gun abilities and melee moves to round out their blaster capabilities. Unlike the previously described Sniper (who values a very deliberate, planned approach to combat), the scattergun specced Scoundrel is much more about getting deep into the action, guns blazing..."

Bioware's Doctors Speak Out on How to Make Great Games

During a recent interview with Gamesutra, Bioware founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk provides some very interesting information on how to make good games, the constant challenge of change, and the core values that drive Bioware to become one of the best companies. To keep the company focused, the leaders have some things to say about keep their company and various development studio on track:

"Ray Muzyka: We set vision statements. We talk about core values a lot, and we try to live them. We set a vision. Our vision for our group within [parent] EA, for BioWare, is create, deliver, and evolve the emotionally engaging games in the world."

"Are you ready?"

Ray goes on to state how when each employee knows exactly what they are getting to when they join Bioware and if they do not, a thorough orientation is presented on Bioware's history in game. Because of this, teams and individuals can focus on producing great games that do not sacrifice over content. He goes a little more in-depth on how Bioware changes with the feed and adapt to improve their games:

"It's about learning, being able to admit you're wrong, and learn from your mistakes. It's about trying to improve each game, try to make it better than your last, never sitting on your laurels, never resting. It's a very active word. It's a very bold word. It's a very confident word, in many ways, because it's sort of a willingness to say, "Yes, we're ready to change, if we need to change, based on feedback."

 

"Droids. Why does it have to be droids?"

Finally, the doctors offer some very interesting feedback on working and developing The Old Republic and how they are going to be handling the game post-launch:

"For us, it's kind of challenging, but we really do have a lot of people on the team that have done this before. It doesn't make it easy, because when you look at a game as ambitious as Star Wars: The Old Republic, the amount of content in it is probably equivalent to all the content from prior BioWare games combined. You know, we've got to deliver that to the fans enough to keep them occupied for a long time. You know, we have to continue to deliver more content over time afterwards, too."

"Silent, but Deadly"

Check out the rest of the interview after the jump: Gamesutra.