The Star Wars: The Old Republic presentation at E3 had a beautiful trailer but was incredibly short and lacking details about what might come in the new expansion. They did mention that Bioware wanted to return to its roots and focus on story-based expansion, as well as state that there would be more testing and better developer/community interaction, but didn’t go further into detail. I understand that this isn’t a new game and so it doesn’t require a lot of “how to play” presentation, but they stated that it was the “year of Star Wars” and I had been hoping that EA would finally give SWTOR the coverage and press attention that it deserves.
However, the real SWTOR information was released over the weekend, when the Knights of the Fallen Empire expansion page became visible for a short time. (After the E3 trailer, the page was published again.) The intro is only the beginning of long list of additions and plans and it looks like it’s going to bring a lot to the game.
Step into an epic story-driven adventure as your character becomes The Outlander, a veteran of the Great Galactic War. A third faction threatens the galaxy as we know it, and your choices will determine the fate of both the Sith Empire and Galactic Republic. Knights of the Fallen Empire includes the first nine chapters, fueled by BioWare-style cinematic storytelling, that kicks off a new player-driven story arc that puts you at the center of a conflict where your choices have impact on outcomes including unexpected twists and betrayals. Choose your path…join or betray companions, old and new…and shape the future of the entire galaxy as well as your own. Best of all, this is only the beginning… [emphasis mine]
Leading up to the expansion are rewards for players who are subscribed between July 31 to October 19th:
- July 31: Nico Okarr
When you travel with Nico Okarr, the legendary gunslinger from Star Wars: The Old Republic’s “Return” cinematic trailer, you can be sure that he will always have your back. - August 31: Nico Okarr Blaster Set
A stylish weapon set for the enthusiastic gunslinger; keep it for yourself or give to your Companion. - September 30: Nico Okarr Duster Coat
Impressive is the only word that describes Nico’s swashbuckling duster; you can be sure that wearing this duster sets you apart from other heroes. - October 19: Star Wars™: Knights of the Old Republic™ – Inspired Swoop Bike
Escape your enemies in epic style on your custom Star Wars™: Knights of the Old Republic™-inspired Swoop Bike
There is also an Early Access Bonus for subscribers who qualified for all of the previous four rewards. Currently, there’s no clue as to what it might be, but hopefully it will be something a little better than a reskinned mount or pet. The Early Access Bonus also includes being able to play the expansion a week early.
As with the Forged Alliances and Shadow of Revan storyline, a cast of new characters will be introduced, but what really has me excited is the final part – the promise of 16 new chapters! Even though they’ll undoubtedly be shorter than the base game’s version of chapters, it looks like a compromise between an expansion and the rest of the 2015 roadmap, which I was pretty disappointed with earlier this year. The first 9 chapters will be included with the expansion, but the rest of the chapters will be released in regular installments at later dates.
Additionally, SWTOR released an announcement which provided further information:
This expansion also raises the Level cap to 65, and includes the option to create a Level 60 character! This allows you to start fresh in Knights of the Fallen Empire and jump right into the new story content….
With the launch of Knights of the Fallen Empire, all of the original eight Class stories will be enhanced, allowing for a faster and more engaging playthrough for new and veteran players. Additionally, many of our existing Flashpoints and Operations are being scaled to 60+, giving you many more Elder Game options at Level 65.
Although the existing endgame content will be scaled to 60+, Bioware didn’t go into any additional detail about which flashpoints and operations would be affected. As data demonstrates that the majority of players prefer to focus on the storytelling aspect of the game, it made sense to focus on that at the E3 presentation. However, I was hoping that there would be a hint of new operations to come, either during the E3 or on the website shortly afterwards. Of course, there’s always time to add things to the game – the ever-evolving state is one of the things I’ve come to love about MMOs, so hopefully, we’ll get some kind of endgame news towards the fall.
EDIT: Bioware Austin’s General Manager, Jeff Hickman, stated to Polygon that they’re focusing on the story this year, but they’re not completely writing off the traditional MMO elements of raiding and PvP. So there’s hope for new operations next year?
I have mixed feelings about being able to start a level 60 character. Would this be available to all new subscribers or would this be a Cartel Market item? Or would there be some kind of stipulation based on legacy, such as having one level 60 already? World of Warcraft sells a boost that gets your character to level 90 but it’s not necessarily beneficial to the player because they become almost top level with potentially very little understanding of their class, role, or game. I’m very wary of this kind of action because it devalues the original game and storylines. It would be much nicer to give subscribers the option to turn boosted experience on and off based on their legacy.
Despite this, I’m very excited that EA is giving SWTOR more attention and that Bioware has been given an obvious boost in staff to be able to pull off an expansion as large as this. The game is finishing its fourth year and it’s time to shake things up. With the hype from the new Star Wars trilogy kicking off in December, I can only hope that the game’s energy will be congruent with the larger Star Wars fanbase and continue to provide some of the best storytelling in the genre.