The release date is the time period after which the game is considered released, which usually means that it can already be downloaded and tried if you purchase a licensed copy. For example, the release date for Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) is December 20, 2011.
Recently, more and more often, developers allow you to buy a game in advance - make a pre-order. In response to support from potential buyers who believe in the success of the project so much that they give money for it even before release, the developers share various bonuses and exclusive materials. This could be a soundtrack, an art book, or some mini-addons for the game.
Thus, pre-order actually allows you to buy the game before its official release, but this does not mean that the stated release date loses its significance, since you can fully play it only after release.
Why do you need to know game release dates?
If only because it’s more convenient to plan your time and finances. If you know, for example, when Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) will be released, then it will be easier for you to navigate: set aside money in advance to buy it, plan things so that you can immerse yourself in the game as soon as it comes out.
Many gamers track game release dates using special calendars and feature articles about the most important releases of the month or season. You can find both on our gaming portal website
How do developers choose the time to release?
They are guided by many factors at once. Firstly, it is important for them to know that their target audience will be able to immediately join the gameplay, so games are released less often during the holiday season, as well as in those months when work is usually busy and students are in session.
Secondly, for a successful release, developers try to compare their plans with announcements of potential competitors. For example, if we are talking about a shooter, then releasing it simultaneously with the new Battlefield or Call of Duty is not very reasonable.
Thirdly, the release date indicates the so-called deadline - the very point after which the game is ready. This means that it must be completed within the stated time frame. Alas, this does not always work out, and therefore the release date of the game may be shifted one or even several times.
In addition to this, the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) on PC and consoles may differ - often developers try to release one version first, and only then move on to the next.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is an MMORPG from the famous developer BioWare, based on the popular Knights of the Old Republic franchise. The game takes place approximately three centuries earlier than the events of the first two Knights of the Old Republic games. The new game will retain the core principles and gameplay features of older versions of Knights of the Old Republic, while moving the action into a new and expansive environment.
According to early information, at the beginning of the game, users will be able to join either the Sith Empire or the Galactic Republic. The player’s choice will affect the definition of the hero as “good” or “evil”, in other words, it will show which of the forces he will play for, dark or light. Bioware has mentioned that it hopes to create a more structured story in Old Republic than most other MMORPGs. The player will be able to create "their own epic stories" within the galactic turmoil. The game will use many of the common aspects of MMORPGs, including skills, guilds, and PVP (player versus player) mode.
The visual design of The Old Republic mixes realistic and more animated styles, without leaning towards any extremes. Thanks to this approach, the game will be able to run on not the most powerful computers. It should be noted that the size of the lightsaber compared to what is shown in the screenshots will decrease in the game (not much).
The official announcement of Star Wars: The Old Republic was made at a live press conference held at LucasArts headquarters in San Francisco on October 21, 2008. Development has been confirmed for PC only, with a tentative release date of spring 2011.
The game will feature full voice acting (player characters, companions, NPCs). Bioware invited prominent actors (for example, Lance Henriksen) to do the voice acting. The latest budget estimates put the amount needed for the game at $180 million. Not only is it Bioware's most expensive game, it is also the most expensive video game in history.
Information from E3 2010
- Each player will receive their own ship, which serves as a base and gathering center for companions.
- There are elite NPCs in the game.
- There are no "body runs" after death. You respawn at the medical center with all your equipment.
- PVP mode (player versus player) has been implemented.
- The limit for a group is 4 people.
- The skills are taught by the instructor.
- You can only talk to NPCs if nearby party members are not fighting.
- There are chat channels, including trading ones.
- Multiplayer dialogues allow all players to choose an answer and roll dice to see which option is chosen.
- Mobs are assigned a territory of a certain radius. This means that they will stop pursuing the player from a certain distance and return to their original location.
- The game has vehicles that allow you to move around the world (worlds), including high-speed motorcycles.
- The character creation process is similar to that of the game Dragon Age: Origins.
- There are three danger levels, blue, yellow and red. Blue – no danger, yellow – alarm for the player, red – player in battle.
- For completing quests, certain rewards are given, such as items, money and experience points.
- You can guide heroes through green portals. The red color of the portal means it is inaccessible to the hero.
- All classes have the ability to revive other players and companions (but not during battle).
- You can inspect the belongings of another player in your group, regardless of that player's location.
- Players can influence the course of the war. The player's actions determine who controls the planet and who is on which side.
Story and character development
The stories of The Old Republic will be based on the choice of character class. Each character will receive their own unique storyline with the possibility of many variations. The plot is an epic tale of saving or destroying the galaxy, with each quest having an impressive scope, regardless of the level of progress in the game.
Players can acquire a number of companion characters. However, you will only be able to travel with one companion at a time. These characters evolve depending on your choices. You can even start romantic relationships with companions. Companions may react positively or negatively to your choice. There are special companion quests that, when completed, will strengthen your bond with them. If you anger a companion to some degree, some as yet unnamed consequences will occur.
Gameplay mechanics
Battles in space
In space battles (Space Combat), players use spaceships. The battle system is similar to tunnel shooters like Starfox Star and War Rogue Squadron.
Cover system
A feature never seen before in an MMO. The Cover system is available for some ranged combat classes called Smugglers. When this system is activated, the class gains alternative abilities not otherwise available.
Class interaction
The unique interaction mechanism is based on the classes present in the group. For example, a character of a certain class can blow up a door so that the group can complete a mission. It is unknown how missions will be completed without characters of certain classes. In the door example, it would probably be possible to hack it using a data terminal, or destroy the lock with a lightsaber. That is, missions may have several options for completing them.
The PVP system will be an important part of the game. Players fight against each other in special “war zones”.
Space
Each character will receive a customizable ship that will serve as a base and tool for space battles.
Name: Star Wars: The Old Republic
Release date: December 20, 2011
Genre: MMORPG
Developer: Bioware
Publisher: Electronic Arts, LucasArts
Platform: PC
Publication type: Official client
Version: 1.5.0a
Interface language: English, German, French
Voice language: English, German, French
Tablet: Not required
Description: Discover a time in the Old Republic when, thousands of years before the rise of Darth Vader, the war between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire divided the galaxy. Create your own character based on many of the classic Star Wars heroes. Make decisions that will create your personal story and choose between the Light or Dark Side of the Force. During your adventures, you will be assisted by your own team. Amazing battles, interact with other players to overcome the toughest challenges and explore the amazing worlds of Star Wars!
System requirements:
Operating system: Windows XP SP3/Vista SP2/7 (32 or 64 bit);
Processor: quad-core AMD/INTEL 2.5 GHz or higher;
RAM: 4 GB and above;
Video card: DirectX 9-compatible with 512 MB of memory and support for pixel shaders 3.0 (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 or ATI Radeon 4850) or better;
Hard disk space: 25 GB
Broadband Internet connection: from 512 Kb/s
Peculiarities:
Create your own Star Wars story - Choose from eight classes and become the hero of your own adventure - with an interactive storyline and cinematic, fully voiced dialogue.
Choose Your Own Path – Through the decisions you make during your adventures, you will forge your path into the Light or Dark Side of the Force.
Build a Team – Build relationships with your companions who will join you to fight by your side.
Challenge yourself in incredible battles - Take part in exciting lightsaber duels, space battles and large-scale battles with other players.
Earn Your Own Spaceship – Earn a spaceship that will serve as your base of operations as you explore the galaxy and take part in epic space battles.
Fully Featured MMO Content – Join your friends in PvP duels in special zones (Warzones), dungeon crawls with friends (Flashpoints) and real challenges for a large number of players (Operations). Join a guild, trade in auction houses, craft your own items, drive vehicles and much, much more!
Installation and launch:
The client is completely ready and installed
Create an account at http://www.swtor.com/ by clicking the Sign Up button in the upper right corner of the site
Next you have a choice: because. On November 15, the game switched to a mixed payment system. You can play the Free-to-play version of the game with a sufficient number of restrictions, but which can be removed for real money in the in-game store. Or you can buy the game and enjoy the full version.
After you have created an account, run launcher.exe from the root folder where the game was installed
Next, enter your username and password for your account and click login. When you first start, after checking your data, one of the security questions that you asked during registration will pop up. Only you know the answer to this question, because... they wrote it in themselves
If there are new updates, the game will download them itself.
After all these manipulations, the game is ready to launch, all you have to do is press the Play button
Star Wars: The Old Republic is a large-scale MMORPG developed by the famous BioWare studio, and based on George Lucas' popular Star Wars universe. BioWare is famous for its offline projects, and therefore it was unexpected for them to take on the development of an online game. However, they did their job perfectly.
The events of The Old Republic take place 3.5 thousand years before the Battle of Endor (IV episode of Star Wars) - after the story associated with the mysterious disappearance of Revan, about 300 years have passed, the Republic was subjected to an unexpected attack from the Sith Empire. During the fierce battles, no one was able to turn the outcome of the battle to their side, so both factions came to the decision to suspend hostilities towards each other and signed a peace treaty. Thus, the galaxy was divided into two camps. The player can join any of them. Each side has four classes - the Galactic Republic: Jedi Knight, Paratrooper, Smuggler, Jedi Consul; and for the Empire: bounty hunter, Sith warrior, Imperial agent and Sith Inquisitor. After the character reaches level 10, the player will have to choose one of two subclasses for his hero. The choice of profession determines not only the future abilities and skills of the character (ranged combat, melee, Force skills), but also the starting planet from which his adventures will begin.
It is worth noting that a user playing on the side of the Empire does not have to be evil, and a player who chooses the Republic does not have to be good. Each hero has a unique scale that shows his worldview. If a character kills innocents, lies and breaks laws in every possible way, then the scale turns red. Otherwise - blue. This game “feature” not only individualizes each player in The Old Republic, but also allows him to use unique weapons and items that are intended only for “dark” or “light” heroes.
The main feature of the project is a full-fledged story campaign with many voiced dialogues and video inserts. More than a dozen screenwriters were involved in writing the story, and more than a hundred actors were invited to voice the characters in the story. Star Wars: The Old Republic is one of the few MMORPGs where it’s fun to play not only with friends, but also alone. The plot is distinguished by its non-linearity and the ability to choose alternative options for completing missions. There are 17 planets and more than a hundred different locations available for visiting.
For the first time in mmo games, a companion system was implemented, that is, the user chooses one of the npcs to help his hero, who can easily play the role of a “tank” or “damage dealer” in battle. As the player progresses through the main campaign, he will meet five npc along the way, ready to become partners for your character.
The graphic component will not leave any MMORPG fan indifferent, as it contains: excellent elaboration of locations, a huge number of different details, and huge territories. Each planet has its own unique and inimitable appearance of landscapes and premises, as well as its own flora and fauna.
Game Features:
- The presence of a variety of vehicles: from ordinary speeders for traveling through locations, to real spaceships, with the help of which flights between planets are carried out.
- Spectacular space battles. To complete the most complex missions in space, you cannot do without upgrading your starship.
- A unique dialogue system in which several players can take part at the same time.
- A well-developed plot with voiced dialogues and non-linear narration.
Star Wars is one of the most famous and popular universes in the whole world. Currently, seven full-length films have been shot based on the Star Wars universe and many computer games have been released. Star Wars dates back to the late 1970s and remains popular to this day. One of the games that will be discussed is Star Wars the Old Republic. The game review includes a description of the plot, mechanics, gameplay, graphics, overall impression of the gameplay and much more.
A little history
Star Wars is the brainchild of George Lucas. The first film of the saga was released back in 1977. The biggest box office hits were not long in coming - the film was a breakthrough for its time and still remains quite watchable.
Over time, computer game developers turned their attention to the fantasy universe, because it was an unplowed field. The legendary Jedi-Knight games have become favorites not only among Star Wars fans, but also among fans of high-quality computer RPGs.
Then there were many projects related to the saga. They include games with the Lego logo and theme, and two parts of Force Unleashed, and the well-known Battlefront. The sequel to the last mentioned game came out quite recently. But this article will talk about Stars Wars the Old Republic, a review of which will definitely appeal to fans of the series. For those who hear about this project for the first time, this will be an excellent reason to get acquainted with the game.
A whole separate culture has developed around Star Wars. Computer game developers could not ignore this niche. Combining the overly popular MMORPG genre and the universe seemed like a good solution in the form of Stars Wars the Old Republic. The review will help you figure out whether the creators managed to make a successful project or not.
Game history
As mentioned above, Star Wars the Old Republic is a multiplayer game with unique features and features, which will be discussed a little later. This project was released in 2011, or rather just before the New Year. The Bioware development studio released the game on time, which affected the quality of optimization and the overall experience of the players, but this did not stop real fans. The project remains afloat to this day. However, publishers and developers had to make many concessions to maintain popularity. The reasons for such decisions will be described below.
Game development
The game has been in development since 2008. Even then, the studio promised a MMORPG unlike any other. The emphasis in the project was on the plot. Since BioWare was famous for its good story-driven RPGs, high hopes were placed on Star Wars the Old Republic. Moreover, the combination of a multiplayer game and a full-fledged storyline at that time seemed quite curious, since almost no one had done this before, or the implementation was lame.
In 2009, the first trailer of the project was presented at the E3 gaming exhibition. Within a couple of months, the developers announced enrollment in the closed beta test of Star Wars the Old Republic 2011. A review of the game servers of that time suggests that the company was not doing well. Due to the enormous popularity and millions of people who wanted to plunge into the gaming world of the Star Wars universe, the project’s servers simply could not withstand the load. Even the official website could barely cope with the flow of visitors.
In the summer of 2010, the second trailer for the game appeared. Exactly one year later, the final third video about the game Stars Wars The Old Republic was released. An overview of features and innovations for the genre as a whole - this is how these 3 trailers can be characterized.
On June 21, 2011, publishers began accepting pre-orders for the game and released it in December of the same year. The publisher was Eletronic Arts.
However, a year later the popularity of the project fell sharply. To increase ratings and demand, publishers decided to switch to the Free-to-Play model in order to attract new players. With this approach to distribution, visitors and players will not have to pay a subscription fee. All investments in the game are limited to donation, which, by the way, is not at all necessary for full and comfortable gameplay.
Project scope
Star Wars The Old Republic can be considered the largest and most complex game in the Star Wars universe. This conclusion immediately comes to mind after reading the following numbers. Firstly, the development period was more than 3 years, which allowed us to make a really high-quality game. Secondly, the huge budget is about 200 million dollars. The development of the project was carried out in parallel on four continents by more than 800 specialists from various industries and areas of game development. Thirdly, due to the strong and extensive story component, BioWare had to attract over a thousand voice actors for all the unique characters. According to the developers themselves, if they had the opportunity to invite a unique actor for each character, they would do it. It is worth mentioning that the number of playable characters is about 4 thousand.
Stars Wars the Old Republic: Concept Review
Even before entering open beta testing, the project was positioned as a multiplayer game with a subscription fee. Access to it could be purchased for an amount not exceeding a thousand rubles. At the same time, there was also a donation in the game, which influenced the gameplay. Why developers and publishers adopted such two incompatible distribution concepts at the same time is unclear. However, later this move played a cruel joke on them.
Star Wars Old Republic (online): review of game technical data
The project has the HeroEngine game engine. This platform was specifically designed for online multiplayer games. The engine copes with its task successfully. The engine concept fits BioWare's style of work perfectly. Due to the enormous scale, programmers have to work on the same elements simultaneously from different parts of the planet. HeroEngine provided just such an opportunity.
System requirements
To run the game you must have a computer running Windows XP or later. The processor must have a frequency of at least 2 GHz, for example, Core 2 Duo from Intel or an analogue from AMD. The minimum amount of RAM is 2 GB. The amount of video memory must be at least 512 MB.
Game optimization
Despite the fairly low system requirements, Star Wars The Old Republic is very poorly optimized. Even on configurations that are several times more powerful than those described above, the game manages to slow down and stutter. FPS sometimes drops to an unplayable 10 frames per second.
Plot
As mentioned above, the main feature of the project is a deep and thoughtful plot. The game takes place on a huge number of planets from the Star Wars universe. Events take place 3 thousand years before the events from the films. The player will have to choose one of the sides: or the Sith Empire. In the story, the Sith captured the main republican capital. However, the rebels are not going to put up with this state of affairs, so the war does not subside. This is where you will have to take part.
The development of characters and their personal stories is the main pride of the developers of Star Wars The Old Republic. Each significant plot character has a video review with a unique description. Basically, the player will have to read dialogues and watch story videos.
Gameplay
However, the developers also did not forget about the MMORPG component of the game, although they were relegated to the background. This is where the first problems of the project begin to appear.
Playing Stars Wars The Old Republic as a regular MMORPG is quite boring. Therefore, after completing the story missions and tasks in the game, there is practically nothing to do for those who came only for their favorite setting and story.
At the same time, fans of classic MMORPGs will enjoy a variety of dungeons, instances and PVP modes. It is recommended to constantly dilute the passage of the plot with the usual social and RPG elements, otherwise the game can quickly get boring. However, after completing the story for one character, you can go through the story for another faction, or create a new unique hero and choose new answer options in dialogues that will lead to different consequences.
Otherwise, Stars Wars The Old Republic is a boring and rather drab MMORPG, even despite its high ratings upon launch. Side missions are primitive - kill, collect and bring back, or go and activate several elements in some dungeon and kill the final boss. True, the deplorable situation with side quests is saved by unique and non-repeating NPCs with unique voice acting.
For the first 10 levels, your character is in a kind of training mode in the initial location. The player is introduced to the mechanics and controls through the plot and a small set of side tasks. After reaching level 10 you will be sent on a free voyage. This is where Stars Wars The Old Republic is good: the freedom to choose locations and planets allows you to feel like part of the universe and a real explorer of distant galaxies. Of course, you won’t be able to conquer all the places from the first minutes - after all, the class of equipment and character level directly affect the difficulty of opponents and quests on various planets.
The locations are truly beautiful and never repeated in Star Wars The Old Republic Origin. An overview of each unique planet is usually memorable for its color palette, weather conditions and nature.
Star Wars The Old Republic: Class Options
When looking at Star Wars The Old Republic, an overview of the classes would be helpful. The same number of classes are available for each faction. For those who chose the Republic, smugglers, paratroopers, Jedi Consular and Jedi Knight will be available. The smuggler is the local equivalent of an assassin or thief. Paratroopers are the main Damage Dealer of the faction. Knights are tanks, and Jedi consulars are the equivalent of magicians and wizards.
The following classes are available for the Sith Empire: bounty hunter, imperial agent, Sith warrior and inquisitor. The classes are completely similar to the classes of Republican characters.
At the beginning of the project, the balance of all classes was simply disgusting. But over time, the developers conducted tests, surveyed players and listened to their opinions. As a result, all classes are perfectly balanced: unique skills and abilities complement each other and there is no “imba” class.
Bottom line
During the existence of the project, 4 story additions and many updates to the game content and the server itself were released. This proves that the game is still doing great. The influx of new players, although small, is still there.
Fans and lovers of Star Wars will be pleased with the game. The perfectly conveyed setting and atmosphere of the universe will not leave them indifferent. Casual players will also not be offended - the combat system, leveling up and dialogues will not cause any difficulties even at the first acquaintance. The only category of gamers who were dissatisfied with the game were hardcore MMORPG fans, since they are unlikely to like the small number of small details. For example, a simplified system for pumping or upgrading items. But for such players there are many other multiplayer projects. Perhaps the gaming community will soon receive an announcement of Star Wars The Old Republic 2. The review, in general, was positive. Despite minor shortcomings and adjusted for the plot of the game, we have a unique and interesting project of its kind. You don’t have to stay in it for a long time, but it’s definitely worth checking out.
