Posted by Lady Republic | 13 Comments

Sith Inquisitor: You Are in Command Now

Unlimited Power

“If I were to die, all the knowledge you seek about the true nature of the Force will be lost with me. Learn the power of the Dark Side!” –Darth Sidious, Star Wars III:  Revenge of the Sith

The Sith Inquisitor is a careful and calculating strategist, priding his or herself on manipulating others and gaining power in the Force. This is the class who can channel that most dangerous and deadly of all Force abilities, Force Lightning. Pure, dark energies dance from their fingers, lashing out to destroy any who oppose them or stand in their way.

Coupling their mastery of force lightning with the deadly finesse of a lightsaber, Inquisitors can heal their allies, cause great harm to their adversaries, and even shield companions from the worst attacks of their enemies with great skill, quick and deadly movements, and the supreme mastery of shadows and the dark energy of the Force.

Read More

Posted by Cormeister | 20 Comments

Blue Milk & Cereal: How Do You Feel About “One Class, One Weapon”?

No day would be complete without the breakfast of Jedi: Blue Milk & Cereal.  Every morning, the team at Ask A Jedi will get Force-induced thoughts coursing through your head with delicious issues from around the galaxy! Join in the discussion below to make your voice heard!

In traditional MMOs, player characters usually have a wide range of weapon choices. For instance, a fighter class could use a sword, axe, or mace while a mage class could use a staff, dagger, or wand. Even in table top roleplaying games the trend has been to allow your character to train in a specific weapon category and then be able use one or many weapons that fall under that category. However, in SW:TOR BioWare is taking a decidedly different approach.

I should probably expand on my title of “One Class, One Weapon”. A more accurate title would be “One Advanced Class, One Signature Weapon”. Sith Assassins/Jedi Shadows have access to double-bladed lightsabers. Trooper Commandos have access to Blaster Cannons. Bounty Hunter Mercenaries get access to dual blaster pistols. And the list goes on…

These are the only weapon choices that your character gets. You can’t pick and choose your character’s weapon except from amongst the one or two types that your character is given. You cant use a double-bladed lightsaber as a Sith Juggernaut, for instance. Sure, you could choose to be a Sith Marauder and only use one lightsaber, but why do that when you can use two lighsabers?

I believe that BioWare chose to limit weapon choice to make the classes feel more iconic. A Jedi uses a lightsaber. Period. If you want to live the fantasy of being a Jedi through SW:TOR, why would you sacrifice one of the most unique things about being a Jedi and not wield a lightsaber? Same goes for Bounty Hunters, Smugglers, and everyone else.

Personally, I like the decision to limit weapon choice, but I can see where the lack of choice can lead to trouble. People like to have options in MMOs, that is why there are character creators after all, and why BioWare has made Story (and by extension, player choice) the 4th pillar of MMO design. Where do you guys fall in the argument?

Read More

Posted by Shockum | 14 Comments

Blue Milk & Cereal: Should All Classes Be Able To Fill All Trinity Roles?

No day would be complete without the breakfast of Jedi: Blue Milk & Cereal.  Every morning, the team at Ask A Jedi will get Force-induced thoughts coursing through your head with delicious issues from around the galaxy! Join in the discussion below to make your voice heard!

One thing that’s always guided me towards my class of choice is what combat roles I could fill with it. I like options, and the more options you give me, the happier I am. In World of Warcraft I primarily played a Paladin and a Druid. With just a quick change in talents, I could go from healer to tank, or ranged to melee DPS. I didn’t like being tied to one role, and with these hybrids I didn’t have to be.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is taking it a step further. For the most part, (save high-end content) nearly every class will be able to fill more than one role ably. This allows the player to play what they want to play, and not roll an entire character for a specific for a role. Going back to the age-old MMO adage, take the player, not the class.

So the question is, do we want all the classes to be able to do everything? It might sound nice on paper, but doesn’t seem logical. Think of it this way: would you expect Darth Vader, knowing the kind of character he is, to heal you? Can you envision Han Solo tanking a Rancor while you shoot it in the ankles?

Where do you stand? Do you think all classes should be able to fill all three trinity roles? Or is it best to stick to the idea that classes have specific combat roles?

Read More

Posted by Shockum | 37 Comments

Blue Milk & Cereal: What Was The Deciding Factor For Your Class Choice?

No day would be complete without the breakfast of Jedi: Blue Milk & Cereal.  Every morning, the team at Ask A Jedi will get Force-induced thoughts coursing through your head with delicious issues from around the galaxy! Join in the discussion below to make your voice heard!

Some players will choose their class based on their desired combat role, such as healing, tanking or damage dealing. Others might try to make a decision between a ranged class or a melee class. And in the case of Star Wars: The Old Republic, the story itself may be a great influencer of your decision.

As for me, that class is the Sith Inquisitor. I knew from the start I wanted to walk around with a saberstaff and dominate the Republic. My first look at this weapon came from watching Episode 1 (shudder) and Darth Maul. Granted, it wasn’t the sole reason. I was more drawn to it because of the abilities I’ve seen with it, both before and after I was lucky enough to land a Game Testing spot.

So what gave you that final nudge to choose your main class? Was it the story,  combat role, style, or something else? Let us know!

Read More

Posted by Shockum | 21 Comments

Blue Milk & Cereal: Have You Stuck To Your Guns (Or Lightsaber)?

No day would be complete without the breakfast of Jedi: Blue Milk & Cereal.  Every morning, the team at Ask A Jedi will get Force-induced thoughts coursing through your head with delicious issues from around the galaxy! Join in the discussion below to make your voice heard!

When Star Wars: The Old Republic was first announced, and you made the decision that you wanted to play, one of the first questions that had to be answered was, “What class should I play?”

There are some of us who need time to make the final decision, perhaps not knowing until the TOR is out and we’re sitting in front of the character creator. Players now had the chance to play classes that resemble characters we’ve come to know and love. Either way, it became a difficult decision.

However, there were some of us, like me, who knew from the get go what we intended to play. Enter the Sith Inquisitor. Being cunning, manipulative, and giving me the ability to shoot lightning was all I needed. I was hooked the moment I read about the class. It all seemed very Sith-like to me. I knew right away I was going to be a Sith. No offense to those of the Republic, but they just seemed to be too good.

Now don’t get me wrong. I wavered on my choice for awhile. Although I always knew I was going to be Empire, I was thinking of setting down a lightsaber for a pistol.

For a brief moment, I thought of Boba Fett and becoming a Bounty Hunter, who only wants to get the job done. I even flirted with the idea of being an Imperial Agent, reminiscent of Thrawn (I’d recommend picking up the trilogy if you are unaware of the name).

But when all was said and done, I could not lay down the neopixel lightsaber. In a way I was asking myself, “Do you really want to do this?” The answer, clearly, was no. Although I’m intending to play each class over the life of TOR and I’ll have a full character selection screen,  my first character will be my first choice.

What about you? Have you stuck to your guns, or lightsaber? Or has one of the other classes caught your eye?

Read More