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Star Wars: The Old Republic: Impressions of the Imperial Agent

StraddenStradden Managing EditorMember CommonPosts: 6,696

MMORPG.com's Dana Massey recently traveled to the LucasArts compound for a demo of Bioware's upcoming MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic. While there, he got a look at the recently announced Imperial Agent.

The recently revealed Imperial Agent class in Star Wars: The Old Republic provides the Empire with a hefty dose of subtlety and intrigue. While many classes, like say the Sith Warrior, barge through levels with their lightsabers blazing, the Imperial Agent uses stealth and tactics to quietly creep up on her enemies.

LucasArts and Bioware put on a press demonstration last week in San Francisco to give us the first chance to see these guys in action. While it was quite clearly very early - we were told to imagine the "stealth" effect as the character snuck around on a massive theatre screen in the LucasArts compound - this class adds something to the Star Wars world that has never really been the focus before: subtlety.

Read Impressions of the Imperial Agent.

Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com

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Comments

  • leumasx7leumasx7 Member Posts: 218
    Originally posted by Stradden




    The recently revealed Imperial Agent class in Star Wars: The Old Republic provides the Empire with a hefty dose of subtlety and intrigue. While many classes, like say the Sith Warrior, barge through levels with their lightsabers blazing, the Imperial Agent uses stealth and tactics to quietly creep up on her enemies.
    LucasArts and Bioware put on a press demonstration last week in San Francisco to give us the first chance to see these guys in action. While it was quite clearly very early - we were told to imagine the "stealth" effect as the character snuck around on a massive theatre screen in the LucasArts compound - this class adds something to the Star Wars world that has never really been the focus before: subtlety.

     

    "the Imperial Agent uses stealth and tactics to quietly creep up on her enemies."

    Shouldn't be his/her... his or her.

     

  • FdzzaiglFdzzaigl Member UncommonPosts: 2,433

    Link to the article doesn't seem to work for me, takes me to the latest 'features'

    Feel free to use my referral link for SW:TOR if you want to test out the game. You'll get some special unlocks!

  • nate1980nate1980 Member UncommonPosts: 2,072

    My problem with stealth classes in Bioware games is that stealthing is a chore, since you have NPC party members that don't stealth. So you have to leave them at the door somewhere, stealth ahead of them, and then go back for them. So in Bioware games where I did play a class that could stealth, I never put points into that ability since I hated leaving my crew behind or having to go back and get them.

  • PhryPhry Member LegendaryPosts: 11,004

    they dont use stealth, but use a magical belt of invisibility that allows them to pass by unseen......

  • IronChuIronChu Champions Online CorrespondentMember UncommonPosts: 82
    Originally posted by leumasx7

    Originally posted by Stradden




    The recently revealed Imperial Agent class in Star Wars: The Old Republic provides the Empire with a hefty dose of subtlety and intrigue. While many classes, like say the Sith Warrior, barge through levels with their lightsabers blazing, the Imperial Agent uses stealth and tactics to quietly creep up on her enemies.
    LucasArts and Bioware put on a press demonstration last week in San Francisco to give us the first chance to see these guys in action. While it was quite clearly very early - we were told to imagine the "stealth" effect as the character snuck around on a massive theatre screen in the LucasArts compound - this class adds something to the Star Wars world that has never really been the focus before: subtlety.

     

    "the Imperial Agent uses stealth and tactics to quietly creep up on her enemies."

    Shouldn't be his/her... his or her.

     

     

    A lot of RPGs identify a class with a certain gender, that's just the way it's worked for a long time, even back to the days of some PnP games.

  • IronChuIronChu Champions Online CorrespondentMember UncommonPosts: 82
    Originally posted by Phry


    they dont use stealth, but use a magical belt of invisibility that allows them to pass by unseen......

     

    Have you ever played KotOR (the series that ths MMO is based on)? That's the way it works.

  • aurickaurick Member Posts: 317

     While such a class can be a lot of fun in a single player game, I have serious misgivings about it in an MMO.  Yeah, it's really cool that the player is able to clear an entire level without triggering an alarm, but what are his friends doing in the meantime?  Alt+tabbing so that they can play hearts while they wait?

    image
    image
  • metalhead980metalhead980 Member Posts: 2,658
    Originally posted by aurick


     While such a class can be a lot of fun in a single player game, I have serious misgivings about it in an MMO.  Yeah, it's really cool that the player is able to clear an entire level without triggering an alarm, but what are his friends doing in the meantime?  Alt+tabbing so that they can play hearts while they wait?

     

    What friends? everyone will be running solo missions through the class story arcs and using henchies for flashpoints (instanced missions/dungeons) instead of players.

    This game is going to be a single player Rpg with the option to play CO-op through instance missions, dungeons and pvp.

    Ill be surprised if people could even see each other outside flashpoints and major cities.

     

    Edit: I'm not trying to troll, I will honestly be shocked if this game resembles a normal MMO at all. Too much is going into story and player choice. It seems more like a single player Rpg with co-op options than a mmo.

     

    PLaying: EvE, Ryzom

    Waiting For: Earthrise, Perpetuum

  • XAleX360XAleX360 Member UncommonPosts: 516

    What the fuck are you blatering of?

     

    This game has all the MMO elements you would ever need, from social activities to economy, crafting&harvesting, PvP combat, raids and everything else. They already confirmed it.

    Otherwise, how could they even think of challenging World of Warcraft? Don't forget that Electronic Arts is set to do exactly that. They tried Mythic and Warhammer with WO, now they are putting their money on Bioware and Star Wars. And this time, they may actually succeed.

    Until now, Bioware only talked about their unique take on MMOs which, unsurprisingly, involves deep storylines, class arcs, NPC interactions just like the ones we are used to in their single player games; except now they will be applied to a MMORPG, which is a massive innovation by itself for the genre.

    After playing Dragon Age, I have even more faith that Bioware can pull it off. They showed they can do great dungeon, bosses and story with a gameplay very akin to MMO ones, especially WoW. Beta will come soon anyway, and everyone will be able to judge then.

    Executive Editor (Games) http://www.wccftech.com

  • XAleX360XAleX360 Member UncommonPosts: 516

    I noticed now that you're a sandbox fan. Well, I like sandbox too and I've been deeply involved in checking every sandbox out there, from Mortal Online (I am in beta now) to Darkfall Online, Fallen Earth, EVE Online etc.



    The only successful sandbox MMO is EVE Online right now, and I don't like to be an astroship. All the rest is largely incomplete, to the point that the best theme park MMOs are more satisfying and entertaining. To create a successful sandbox MMO like DFO, MO and FE tried you would need massive experience as a developer and consistent funds.

    Maybe CCP will pull it off with their new World of Darkness MMO, but until then I will be on SWTOR or STO, provided they are good enough.

    Executive Editor (Games) http://www.wccftech.com

  • MMO_DoubterMMO_Doubter Member Posts: 5,056
    Originally posted by XAleX360


    What the fuck are you blatering of?
     
    This game has all the MMO elements you would ever need, from social activities to economy, crafting&harvesting, PvP combat, raids and everything else. They already confirmed it.
    Otherwise, how could they even think of challenging World of Warcraft? Don't forget that Electronic Arts is set to do exactly that. They tried Mythic and Warhammer with WO, now they are putting their money on Bioware and Star Wars. And this time, they may actually succeed.
    Until now, Bioware only talked about their unique take on MMOs which, unsurprisingly, involves deep storylines, class arcs, NPC interactions just like the ones we are used to in their single player games; except now they will be applied to a MMORPG, which is a massive innovation by itself for the genre.
    After playing Dragon Age, I have even more faith that Bioware can pull it off. They showed they can do great dungeon, bosses and story with a gameplay very akin to MMO ones, especially WoW. Beta will come soon anyway, and everyone will be able to judge then.

    It seems like you have already judged. You have just reached a different verdict.

    PvP, crafting,raids? Well, if there is one crafting profession, one arena for team-based PvP, and a couple of raid-size 'dungeons', then what they have claimed will be factually accurate.

    Will it be satisfying to the general MMO crowd? You tell me.

     

    AS for popularity - well, swords and sorcery tends to be more popular than Science Fiction. Look at the numbers of each type of MMO out there.

     

    Star Wars is a huge IP - but this isn't the Star Wars of the movies - it's KOTOR. A much smaller IP.

    "" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2

  • NikopolNikopol Member UncommonPosts: 626
    Check back with us on December 3rd and we'll have for you a preview of each of the final two classes left to be revealed
     

     

    Looking forward to it.

  • leumasx7leumasx7 Member Posts: 218

    actually, it isn't even kotor. if anyone pay attention to biowares site for the game. its planned as a pickup years/ centuries after the end of the movies. and all.

     

    Also, combat system does not work like kotor. more faster paced really.

  • metalhead980metalhead980 Member Posts: 2,658
    Originally posted by XAleX360


    What the fuck are you blatering of?
     
    This game has all the MMO elements you would ever need, from social activities to economy, crafting&harvesting, PvP combat, raids and everything else. They already confirmed it.
    Otherwise, how could they even think of challenging World of Warcraft? Don't forget that Electronic Arts is set to do exactly that. They tried Mythic and Warhammer with WO, now they are putting their money on Bioware and Star Wars. And this time, they may actually succeed.
    Until now, Bioware only talked about their unique take on MMOs which, unsurprisingly, involves deep storylines, class arcs, NPC interactions just like the ones we are used to in their single player games; except now they will be applied to a MMORPG, which is a massive innovation by itself for the genre.
    After playing Dragon Age, I have even more faith that Bioware can pull it off. They showed they can do great dungeon, bosses and story with a gameplay very akin to MMO ones, especially WoW. Beta will come soon anyway, and everyone will be able to judge then.

    While I do enjoy sandbox games I am also looking forward to TOR.

    The last good MMO/CO-Rpg that released with a great story was Guild Wars.

    I'm hoping TOR delivers a single player rpg type experience. If that means the game will be 99% solo centric then so be it.

    Leaving out repetitive raids,dungeons and pvp mini game may be bad for the mmo crowd but it would totally turn me onto the game.

    I don't want EQ/WoWs version of the SW universe.

    PLaying: EvE, Ryzom

    Waiting For: Earthrise, Perpetuum

  • AlienovrlordAlienovrlord Member Posts: 1,525

    Sounds like they've already been shown the last two TOR classes.

    Well, I guess those will make a nice post-Thanksgiving treat for the rest of us lol     

  • VarnyVarny Member Posts: 765

     Why are her arms so thin? Looks stupid.

  • aesperusaesperus Member UncommonPosts: 5,135
    Originally posted by Alienovrlord


    Sounds like they've already been shown the last two TOR classes.
    Well, I guess those will make a nice post-Thanksgiving treat for the rest of us lol     

     

    Aye, though they may as well have just said "the last class".

    Unless I missed a PR (I honestly haven't been following the game as closely as I used to), then they still haven't released the Jedi class, and I think it's pretty much a given that there's going to be one. Especially since they have the sith warrior. Which would mean 1 last class + the jedi class.

    Will be interesting to see what they come up w/.

  • achesomaachesoma Member RarePosts: 1,768
    Originally posted by aesperus

    Originally posted by Alienovrlord


    Sounds like they've already been shown the last two TOR classes.
    Well, I guess those will make a nice post-Thanksgiving treat for the rest of us lol     

     

    Aye, though they may as well have just said "the last class".

    Unless I missed a PR (I honestly haven't been following the game as closely as I used to), then they still haven't released the Jedi class, and I think it's pretty much a given that there's going to be one. Especially since they have the sith warrior. Which would mean 1 last class + the jedi class.

    Will be interesting to see what they come up w/.

     

    Jedi Knight was already revealed a few weeks ago.  Six classes are revealed with two left.  One for Republic and One for Empire. 

    Preaching Pantheon to People at PAX  PAX East 2018 Day 4 - YouTube
  • kastakasta Member Posts: 512

     You missed something.  Jedi Knight has been revealed.

     

  • CorthalaCorthala Member UncommonPosts: 283
    Originally posted by nate1980


    My problem with stealth classes in Bioware games is that stealthing is a chore, since you have NPC party members that don't stealth. So you have to leave them at the door somewhere, stealth ahead of them, and then go back for them. So in Bioware games where I did play a class that could stealth, I never put points into that ability since I hated leaving my crew behind or having to go back and get them.

     

    I always love stealth in Bioware, The tactic seems to be the same in all Bio games: Set some snares, Sneak to your enimes backstab one, run to were your guys are waiting and when enemies are close to your party the snare takes some and your party takes care of the rest.

     

     

    I Will love this class but I wonder how good will it be in pvp, this type of class are normaly or OP or just to weak in pvp.

    "you are like the world revenge on sarcasm, you know that?"

    One of those great lines from The Secret World

  • DanubusDanubus Member Posts: 169

    well, you gave away one major thing. Final two classes will be shown by Dec 3rd.  That alone was worth reading this article!

  • SikisonSikison Member Posts: 6

     Agree!

  • MageThiefMageThief Member Posts: 18

     I think this will be a very interesting class and is one of the classes I must try out the most

    -<[ Damn Dirty Apes ]>-
    -<[ Merde Souill

  • sjamPsjamP Member Posts: 34
    Originally posted by leumasx7


    actually, it isn't even kotor. if anyone pay attention to biowares site for the game. its planned as a pickup years/ centuries after the end of the movies. and all.
     
    Also, combat system does not work like kotor. more faster paced really.

     

    Now, I haven't followed the game extremely closely, but I'm pretty darned sure that it picks up some centuries after the time of the KOTOR games, not the movies. Is that not correct? After all, it's still "The Old Republic" :)

  • elf8blisself8bliss Member UncommonPosts: 304

    Can't wait to find out what the last two classes are going to be.

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