''Star Wars: The Old Republic'' is a
massively multiplayer online role-playing game
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game.
As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...
(MMORPG) based in the ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' universe.
Developed by
BioWare
BioWare is a Canadian video game developer based in Edmonton, Alberta. It was founded in 1995 by newly graduated Doctor of Medicine, medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip, alongside Trent Oster, Brent Oster, and Marcel Zes ...
Austin and a supplemental team at BioWare Edmonton, the game was announced on October 21, 2008. The video game was released for the
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
platform on December 20, 2011 in North America and part of Europe.
It was released in Oceania and Asia on March 1, 2012.
This story takes place in the ''Star Wars'' universe shortly after the establishment of a tenuous peace between the re-emergent
Sith Empire and the
Galactic Republic
The Galactic Republic, often referred to as simply the Republic, is a fictional galactic polity depicted in the ''Star Wars'' universe, where it existed prior to the establishment of the Galactic Empire. The Republic is most prominently por ...
. The game features eight different classes. Each of the eight classes has a three act storyline that progresses as the character levels up. Players join either the Republic or the Sith, but players may possess a morality at any point along the light/dark spectrum. Different classes favor different styles of gameplay, and the game features extensive customization options, fully voiced dialogue, companion characters, and dialogue options similar to BioWare's other role-playing games.
Although not officially disclosed, based on estimates, it is one of the
most developmentally expensive games made. The game had one million subscribers within three days of its launch, making it the world's "fastest-growing MMO ever", however, in the following months the game lost a fair share of its subscriptions, but has remained profitable.
The game has since adopted the hybrid
free-to-play
Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...
business model with remaining subscription option.
The game was met with positive reception upon release and has received several updates and
expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, supplement, or simply expansion is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game, video game or collectible card game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, characters, or an ...
s. Several books and comics based on the game have been released. It is estimated that the game made $139 million in additional revenues on top of the subscription income in 2013. In an earnings call to investors in October 2019,
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...
announced that ''Star Wars: The Old Republic'' was closing in on a billion dollars in lifetime revenue, making it a financial success based on the reported $200 million development budget.
Plot
This story takes place in the ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
''
fictional universe
A fictional universe, or fictional world, is a self-consistent setting with events, and often other elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed, or fictional realm (or world). Fictional universes may ...
shortly after the establishment of a tenuous peace between the re-emergent
Sith Empire and the
Galactic Republic
The Galactic Republic, often referred to as simply the Republic, is a fictional galactic polity depicted in the ''Star Wars'' universe, where it existed prior to the establishment of the Galactic Empire. The Republic is most prominently por ...
,
300 years after the events of the ''
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' games, and more than 3,600 years before the events in the ''Star Wars'' films.
The
Jedi
Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi O ...
are held responsible for the success of the Sith during the devastating 28-year-long Great Galactic War (which led to the Treaty of Coruscant prior to the "
cold war
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
"), and thus choose to relocate from
Coruscant
Coruscant () is an ecumenopolis planet in the fictional ''Star Wars'' universe. Its first appearance was onscreen in the 1997 Special Edition of ''Return of the Jedi'', but was first depicted and mentioned by name in Timothy Zahn's 1991 novel '' ...
to Tython, where the Jedi Order had initially been founded, to seek guidance from
the Force
The Force is a metaphysical and ubiquitous power in the '' Star Wars'' fictional universe. "Force-sensitive" characters use the Force throughout the franchise. Heroes like the Jedi seek to "become one with the Force", matching their personal wi ...
.
The Sith control Korriban, where they have re-established a Sith Academy. The game's "Return" cinematic trailer depicts the events where Korriban is re-conquered by the Sith.
During these events, a smuggler named Nico Okarr is led to his prison cell in a jail orbiting Korriban by a Jedi, Satele Shan, and her master, Kao Cen Darach. Suddenly, a Sith named Darth Malgus, and his master Vindican, along with several Sith troops, attack the base. Satele, a trooper named Jace Malcom, and Okarr escape the attack, but Darach is cut down by Malgus. Malgus then kills Vindican, who was wounded by Darach.
Ten years later, new conflicts have arisen.
In the "Hope" cinematic trailer, Satele and some troops destroy a Sith party that includes Malgus. Malcom, who has become the troop's commander, states that, despite the losses, there is still hope amongst even "a single spark of courage". Later in the "Deceived" cinematic trailer, however, Malgus, having appeared to survive the earlier attack albeit with a mask covering his nose and mouth, leads an army of Sith into the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, killing many Jedi including the Jedi Master Ven Zallow.
Master Satele Shan is named the new Jedi Grand Master. The game itself is set in the cold-war soon after these events, with the Jedi Order and Galactic Republic struggling to maintain their control of the core worlds while the Sith plot their downfall and the expansion of the Sith Empire. The conflict opens on many fronts and across many planets, while native factions are engaged in political struggles or civil war.
BioWare stated, prior to release, that the game would have a significant focus on the storyline. Each of the eight classes has a three act storyline that progresses as the character levels up. A collaborative effort between BioWare,
Lucasfilm Games
Lucasfilm Games (known as LucasArts between 1990 and 2021) is an American video game licensor that is part of Lucasfilm. It was founded in May 1982 by George Lucas as a video game development group alongside his film company; as part of a large ...
, EA and
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops known ...
has resulted in webcomics entitled ''Star Wars: The Old Republic – Threat of Peace'' and ''Star Wars: The Old Republic – Blood of the Empire'', the purpose of which is to establish the backstory as the game opens and closes.
Gameplay
Players join as members of either of the two main factions – the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. Although each faction is led by a benevolent or malevolent leader, it is emphasized that an individual member may possess a morality at any point along the light/
dark spectrum. The project's key focus is to differentiate between the player's faction and morality.
For instance, a member with ties to the Sith Empire following the lightside while attempting to achieve their own ends, which may be misaligned or different from a sith's vision.
Player advancement occurs by a combination of mission completion, exploration, and defeating enemies. New skills, unlocked by level, are taught by trainers and can be learned in game at a multitude of locations. Heroic missions exist that require the cooperation of multiple players to complete objectives, and can be repeated normally on a daily basis.
While each class in ''The Old Republic'' favors a certain play style (ranged/melee damage, healing or support skills, or
tanking), customization combined with companion characters allow for a class to be able to tackle many different situations, with or without the support of other player characters, and without requiring specific other classes in order to move forward.
Players' choices permanently open or close storylines and affect players'
non-player character
A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...
(NPC) companions.
It is intended that the game should provide more context for characters' missions than any previous MMORPG. Every character in the game, including the player character, features full voice dialog to enhance gameplay, and interactions feature a dialogue system similar to that used in the ''
Mass Effect'' series.
Players are able to choose from a variety of NPCs, although spending time with a single companion will help more in developing story and content than dividing time among several,
and may even develop a love interest.
It is possible for players to "blow it big time" if they fail to meet NPCs' expectations.
Players also have access to several planets,
including Korriban, Ord Mantell, Nal Hutta, Tython,
Coruscant
Coruscant () is an ecumenopolis planet in the fictional ''Star Wars'' universe. Its first appearance was onscreen in the 1997 Special Edition of ''Return of the Jedi'', but was first depicted and mentioned by name in Timothy Zahn's 1991 novel '' ...
, Balmorra,
Alderaan
Alderaan () is a fictional planet featured in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It is blue-green in appearance, depicted as a terrestrial planet with humanoid inhabitants, and characterized by a peaceful culture. It is the home planet of Princess Lei ...
,
Tatooine
Tatooine () is a fictional desert planet that appears in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It is a beige-colored, desolate world orbiting a pair of binary stars, and inhabited by human settlers and a variety of other life forms. The planet was first ...
, Dromund Kaas, Taris, Belsavis, Voss,
Hoth, Corellia, Ilum and Quesh, and the moon Nar Shaddaa. The planet Makeb was added in Patch 2.0, along with the ''
Rise of the Hutt Cartel'' expansion pack.
Every player receives their own starship, which was announced at
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010.
Footage of space combat was released at
Gamescom. The short clip provided by BioWare revealed that space combat would be a "tunnel shooter".
A tunnel shooter, otherwise known as a
scrolling shooter or
rail shooter, is a flying game where the player is on a predetermined track. Game play includes moving right and left on the X axis and up and down on the Y axis; however, players do not have control of the speed of their space craft. Jake Neri, LucasArts Producer, told
PC Gamer
''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games ma ...
in their October 2010 issue that their goal was to "capture the most cinematic moments that we can create. We want players to get in and feel like they're in the movies. It's about highly cinematic, controlled combat moments ... very heroic, action-packed, exciting, visceral and dangerous encounters that'll make you pee your pants." With the December 2013 release of the free expansion, Galactic Starfighter (GSF), players now have a free flight PVP space combat experience, with multiple ships and roles independent of other aspects of the game.
Like many other MMORPGs, the game features dungeons and raids in the form of Flashpoints and Operations respectively.
Species
A range of playable species are available for the player to choose from, some limited to their factions. Both sides can play
Human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
,
Cyborg (human-based),
Twi'lek or
Zabrak (whose appearances are initially different depending on which side the character is from). The Republic-only races are the
Miraluka and
Mirialan, while the Empire-only races are the
Chiss,
Rattataki and
Sith Pureblood. Humans and Zabrak can pick any class available, while the other species are restricted to limited choices of classes by default.
More playable species are said to be available in the future through major updates and the Legacy system with the ability to use other classes' abilities through this system. The
Cathar were added to the game during Patch 2.1, and is available to all players who unlock the species through the Cartel Market.
The Togruta race was announced in January 2015 as a new playable race and released in the same year with patch 3.3. The Nautolan species was then added with the Onslaught expansion in late 2019.
The release of the expanded "Legacy" system in April 2012 allows for species to be able to play all classes (both Empire and Republic) by unlocking that species with an infusion of in-game money or by levelling a character of that race to level 50. Under this system, for example, a player may choose Chiss, which by default can only choose the non-Sith classes on the Empire side, as a new Sith character. Likewise, a Sith Pureblood, which by default can only choose the Force-powered classes, could choose to be a non-Force class. Along the same vein, both species, which are restricted to the Empire, could even choose the option of fighting for the Republic, including training as a Jedi. By the same method, unlocking the Zabrak species allows users to play both appearances regardless from which side the character is from.
Classes
Each faction contains different classes, each with a distinct backstory and a branching storyline affected by players' moral choices.
Classes are exclusive to one faction or the other. However, the classes of one faction mirror the classes of the other (for example, Jedi Knight and Sith Warrior). Eight classes exist: the ''Bounty Hunter'', ''Sith Warrior'', ''Imperial Agent'', and ''Sith Inquisitor'' for the Sith Empire; and the ''Trooper'', ''Smuggler'', ''Jedi Knight'', and ''Jedi Consular'' for the Galactic Republic. Although each class has a distinct storyline, they are integrated with the game's overall arc.
Each class may also choose from two advanced classes, resulting in a total of 8 advanced classes per faction. Advanced classes share the same storyline as their base class. Lightsaber and blaster colors are not faction or class restricted, but some are restricted based on level and/or Lightside or Darkside alignment. For example, some lightsabers can only be bought if Light or Darkside aligned.
As of the Legacy of the Sith expansion, players are now allowed to separate their Class Story from their Advanced Classes, which are now called "Combat Styles". Players can now select any force-based combat style when playing force-based class stories, or any tech-based combat style when playing tech-based class stories. These combat styles are still locked to their respective factions; however, you can swap your combat style through the Dark vs. Light alignment system.
Ships
Each class has their own starship, which serves as the player's base of operations. Bounty Hunters have the D5-Mantis patrol craft. Sith Warriors and Sith Inquistors have the Fury. Imperial Agents have the X-70B Phantom. Smugglers have the XS Freighter. Troopers have the BT-7 Thunderclap. Jedi Knights and Jedi Consulars have the Defender. Certain pieces of these ships can be upgraded, allowing them to perform better in space combat missions.
Companions
The game features a passive form of crafting, known as Crew Skills, in which a player's companions carry out gathering and crafting tasks asynchronously to the player's adventures out in the world. Each class gets five companions via their storyline. The player can assign up to five companions to perform up to 3 various skills. Crafting skills allow the player's companions to create items, and the player can reverse engineer many items to possibly learn to make a better version. The item is destroyed in the process, but the player gets some of the materials back. Gathering skills allow the player or their companions to gather resources out in the world. Mission skills allow the player's companions to perform acts on the player's behalf, gaining the player Light or Darkside influence and other rewards, such as medical items or companion gifts.
During
E3 2011
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011 (E3 2011) was the 17th E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It began on June 7, 2011, and ended on June 9, 2011, with 46,800 total attendees. E3 201 ...
, a video was shown with gameplay footage of the Bounty Hunter, along with a
Jawa companion named Blizz. The developers stated during the chat that only the Bounty Hunter would be able to get Blizz and that other classes would have unique companions as well, including some companions that are force users. It was also shown that companions would have a similar character screen as the players and can have gear just like a player character.
BioWare announced same-sex romance options with companions or other NPCs before release.
The options were implemented for some non-companions in ''
Rise of the Hutt Cartel'', and expanded with ''Shadow of Revan''. Options for some new companions were implemented in ''Knights of the Fallen Empire'', and expanded for some new and original companions with ''Knights of the Eternal Empire'' up to marriage.
During patch 1.5, HK-51 was added for all classes on both Empire and Republic factions. He was the first companion added to every classes, and can be obtained through a questline. He is an assassin droid based on the popular
HK-47
HK-47 is a fictional droid in the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the 2003 video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'', he is an extremely efficient assassin droid constructed by Revan to assist them in hunting Jedi, until both ...
from the original ''
Knights of the Old Republic'' series.
A female
Ewok
The Ewoks (singular: Ewok) are a fictional species of small, furry, mammaloid, bipeds in the '' Star Wars'' universe. They inhabit the forest moon of Endor and live in arboreal huts and other simple dwellings, being seen as primitive in comp ...
companion, Treek, was implemented in patch 2.3 and is available to all classes. This companion requires either a purchase from the Cartel Market or a 1,000,000 credit fee along with a Legacy Level of 40.
Lana Beniko, a soft-spoken Sith Lord known as "The Dark Advisor" who is seemingly serene and thoughtful in temperament, is a notable companion who first appears as part of Update 2.7 in April 2014 for ''Rise of the Hutt Cartel'' alongside the addition of Theron Shan.
Her role in the overarching narrative of ''The Old Republic'' is expanded in subsequent expansion packs, starting with ''Shadow of Revan''.
Subscription
''The Old Republic'' required a monthly subscription to play, following a month of play included with the initial purchase. Options are available to pay for one month, two month, three month, or six month blocks, with discounted rates for multiple month blocks. Payment is by credit card or time card. The free-to-play version integrates most of the primary features in the game, but has several restrictions, such as credit limits and reduced leveling speed.
After launch, the game's subscribers rose to 1.7 million by February 2012. By May 2012, those numbers fell to 1.3 million. By July 2012, the subscriber base fell below 1 million, prompting EA to convert the game to
free-to-play
Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...
. EA stated that 500,000 subscribers were needed to make the game profitable saying that they were "well above" that number.
By May 2013, subscriptions had fallen below 500,000 but at the time, stabilized there. On November 15, 2012, the free-to-play option went live on all servers. As of August 2014 the game has over one million monthly players.
Development
''The Old Republic'' is
BioWare
BioWare is a Canadian video game developer based in Edmonton, Alberta. It was founded in 1995 by newly graduated Doctor of Medicine, medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip, alongside Trent Oster, Brent Oster, and Marcel Zes ...
's first entry into the
massively multiplayer online role-playing game
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game.
As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...
(MMORPG) market,
and is the third ''Star Wars'' MMORPG after ''
Star Wars Galaxies
''Star Wars Galaxies'' was a ''Star Wars'' themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Microsoft Windows, developed by Sony Online Entertainment and published by LucasArts.
Released on June 26, 2003, to much critical acc ...
'', which was shut down in December 2011, the same month SWTOR was released and ''
Clone Wars Adventures
''Clone Wars Adventures'' was an online virtual world based on the animated television series '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars''. Players could create and customize in-world avatars and participate in a variety of Clone Wars-themed mini-games and a ...
'', which was shut down in March 2014. The development saw the entirety of BioWare Austin working on the game. BioWare had long been interested in working on a MMORPG, but waited until they had "the right partners, the right team, and the right
I.P."
A major focus in the game is on developing characters' individual stories
and, in October 2008, BioWare considered this game to have more story content than all of their other games combined.
The writing team worked on the project longer than any of the game's other development teams.
An October 2008 preview noted some of the 12 full-time writers had been working on ''The Old Republic'' for more than two years at that point.
Although BioWare has not disclosed development costs, industry leaders and financial analysts have estimated it to be between $150 million and $200 million or more, making it, at the time, the most expensive video game made, though if marketing costs are included, it is eclipsed by ''
Grand Theft Auto V
''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and ...
'', with an estimated cost of $265 million.
The game had 1 million subscribers within three days of its launch, making it the world's "fastest-growing MMO ever".
[ However, in the following months the game lost a fair share of its subscriptions, but has remained profitable.][ The game has since adopted the hybrid ]free-to-play
Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...
business model with remaining subscription option. It is estimated that the game made $139 million in additional revenues, in addition to the subscription income, in 2013.
The game's first cinematic trailer, "Deceived", was shown at the Electronic Arts 2009 E3 Press Conference on June 1, 2009. A public live demo was shown for the first time at the Gamescom. On September 29, 2009, BioWare announced that they would be accepting applications for testers from the game community. Within minutes, the official website was down due to traffic, and BioWare announced shortly after that the site was being changed in order to accommodate the increase in visitors. A second cinematic trailer, "Hope", was released on June 14, 2010, that depicts another battle that happened before the game, the Battle of Alderaan. On June 6, a new trailer "Return" was released at E3 2011 depicting the initial Sith invasion force as it retakes its home world of Korriban. Game testing was officially announced to be underway on July 9, 2010, for testers from North American territories.
Although released in most regions of the world, EA have said Australasia
Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...
will be getting the game at a later date. The reason behind this is to hold back digital and boxed copies for a smooth launch so to avoid any problems encountered during launch. However, BioWare revealed that the game would not be region or IP blocked, allowing players to purchase the game from other regions. Additionally, BioWare allowed Australian and New Zealand players to take part in the beta stages of the game. BioWare community manager Allison Berryman said "Data from this test will be used to inform decisions about the launch of the game in Oceanic regions", however, she was unable to provide any information in regards to the game's launch in those regions.
On October 11, 2011, BioWare announced that ''Star Wars: The Old Republic'' would be released globally on December 20, 2011. However, this 'global' launch only included North America and a part of Europe, as the launch date had delayed for the Asia and Oceanic regions. On December 21, 2011, BioWare announced that an Australian and New Zealand release date had been set for March 1, 2012.
Early access to the game was granted one week before release, on December 13, 2011, for those who had pre-ordered the game online; access opened in "waves" based on pre-order date.
On January 18, 2012, the first content patch (1.1) was released, adding a new Flashpoint and adding four bosses to an existing Operation. Patch (1.2) was released on April 12, 2012. The update included the new Legacy system, a new Flashpoint, Operation, a PVP Warzone, as well as improved character textures and advanced options such as user interface customization. Guild banks and player character pets are also introduced. A Weekend Pass Free Trial was made available for new players but has since closed. Patch 1.3 was released in June 2012. The game update featured a New Group Finder, the ability to augment every item, and adaptable social gear. In addition, players will be able to request that their characters are able to transfer to other servers. Subsequent patches have introduced a 'Cartel Market' where players can purchase virtual currency to spend on cosmetic items in-game. These items include armour sets, lightsaber colour crystals, mounts, pets and character-perk unlocks.
In January 2012, ''Star Wars: The Old Republic'' was officially recognized by Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
as the "Largest Entertainment Voice Over Project Ever", with over 200,000 lines of recorded dialogue. This feat is recorded in the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
book. On April 26, 2012, BioWare announced that the game was available in the Middle East and remaining European countries who were excluded from the original launch. On July 21, 2020, the game became available on Steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
.
Expansion packs
''Rise of the Hutt Cartel''
In October 2012, BioWare announced ''The Old Republic''s first digital expansion pack, ''Rise of the Hutt Cartel''. The expansion is centered on the rising threat of the Hutt Cartel, which has arisen to challenge the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire for control of the galaxy. The battle with the Hutts is centered on the planet Makeb, which hides a "powerful secret". Much like the main game, the campaign on Makeb is fully voiced. The level cap was raised to 55, with the leveling from 50 onwards centered on Makeb.
''Rise of the Hutt Cartel'' was released on April 14, 2013. Those who pre-ordered the expansion prior to January 7, 2013, were allowed early access on April 9. In late September, ''Rise of the Hutt Cartel'' became free after subscribing to the game.
''Rise of the Hutt Cartel'' is now free to play for all players in Star Wars: The Old Republic.
''Galactic Starfighter''
In October 2013, BioWare announced its next expansion, which unlike its predecessor ''Rise of the Hutt Cartel'' did not include any story content, however, ''Galactic Starfighter'' introduced 12v12 space-based PvP combat on two maps, with 2 'capture-the-flag' combat missions. Three stock starfighters were made available - a scout, a strike fighter, and a gunship. More are accessible for Cartel Coins. Subscribers began their early access on December 3, 2013, with full subscriber awards if they maintained an active subscription on November 1. "Preferred access" players, those who do not have an active subscription but have purchased items via the Cartel Market, received their early access on January 14, 2014, with some rewards. Full access to all players with an account opened on February 4, 2014. A new 'deathmatch' game style was added with the update, as well as a new starfighter class, the bomber.
''Galactic Strongholds''
In January 2014, BioWare revealed plans for 2014 including two expansion packs, with one similar to ''Galactic Starfighter'' in scope and one more closely resembling ''Rise of the Hutt Cartel''. The first is entitled ''Galactic Strongholds'', introducing player housing and flagships for guilds. Subscribers received early access August 19, 2014, as well as access to the exclusive "Nar Shaddaa Sky Palace"; preferred access players received early access starting in September. Full access to all players with an account opened in October.
''Shadow of Revan''
On October 6, BioWare announced the second planned story expansion, entitled ''Shadow of Revan''. The expansion is centered on the Order of Revan, formerly a fringe group that appeared early in Imperial missions, now a great army seeking to establish a new galactic order, led by the reborn Revan
Darth Revan, later known simply as Revan, is the player character of the 2003 role-playing video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and its upcoming remake by BioWare.
A former veteran Jedi knight who lived during the Old Republi ...
himself. The campaign raised the level cap to 60, and takes place on two new worlds: Rishi, a tropical pirate haven on the edge of the galaxy, and Yavin 4 (which first appeared in the original ''Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' film), home of an ancient Sith warrior sect called the Massassi. ''Shadow of Revan'' was available for preorder. Players who preordered before November 2, 2014, received an experience boost that granted twelve times multiplicative experience for class-related missions, seven days of early access, a grand statue of Revan for placement in strongholds, and a free edition of ''Rise of the Hutt Cartel'' (to give to another player). The expansion was released on December 9, 2014.
The expansion is now free to play for all players.
''Knights of the Fallen Empire''
In June 2015, the third story expansion for the game, titled ''Knights of the Fallen Empire'', was announced at EA's E3 2015 press conference. ''Knights of the Fallen Empire'' features a renewed focus on cinematic storytelling, as well as new planets, new companions, a dynamic story affected by player choices and a level cap of 65. A cinematic trailer, titled "Sacrifice", was released along with the initial announcement. The trailer, made by Blur Studio, received critical acclaim, and was awarded the "Best Trailer of E3" Award by IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
. The first nine chapters of ''Knights of the Fallen Empire'' were launched on October 27, 2015, with additional chapters starting in early 2016. Subscribers received one level 60 character token. After the release of ''Knights of the Fallen Empire'', ''Rise of the Hutt Cartel'' and ''Shadow of Revan'' became free for those subscribing to the game, and access remains on the account if a subscription is canceled.
The release of ''Knights of the Fallen Empire'' depicts the story of "The Outlander" - the player character. The expansion introduced new companion characters available to all classes. One feature introduced with the expansion was the Alliance system. It entails recruiting allies, including some companions from other classes that formerly were restricted, from across the galaxy to join the fight against the Eternal Empire. Players were given the ability to strengthen their rebellion by providing resources to "Specialists" that oversee four areas of operation: Technology, Underworld Trade, Military and Force-Usage. Most of the early game content was heavily streamlined, allowing players to level up a character by completing solely story and class-specific missions if they so choose. A solo mode was also introduced for story-critical flashpoints. The new storyline, featuring primarily solo content, has 13 chapters.
''Knights of the Eternal Throne''
In December 2016, ''Knights of the Eternal Throne'' was released as the fourth story expansion and sixth major update that coincided with the game's five-year anniversary. A cinematic trailer, titled "Betrayed", was released along with the initial announcement of the expansion. The expansion continued the story of the Outlander. Subscribers received one level 65 character token, with additional tokens available at the cartel store. The storyline has nine chapters of solo content and it raised the level cap to 70. The expansion focused on defeating Empress Vaylin and the Eternal Empire. During the expansion, developers released several key updates and patches that continued the story and added new activities for players to engage in.
''Onslaught''
In April 2019, it was announced on the official site that the next expansion, ''Onslaught'', would be released in September 2019. The expansion was to follow the new story that was begun with ''Jedi Under Siege''. In August, it was announced that the release date for ''Onslaught'' had been moved back from September 2019 to October 22, 2019. ''Onslaught''s release timeline (nearly three years) was the largest gap between expansions and major game updates which typically occur annually. This expansion raised the level cap to 75.
''Legacy of the Sith''
In celebration of the game's ten-year anniversary, ''Legacy of the Sith'' was revealed as the eighth major expansion on July 2, 2021 in an official Twitch livestream. The expansion represents a continuation of the storyline from ''Onslaught'', where the player pursues Darth Malgus across the galaxy to uncover his plans, while participating in a major battle on the ocean world of Manaan which has been invaded by the Sith Empire. The expansion raises the level cap to 80 and introduces a revamped character creation, expanded advanced classes where Force-user and Tech-user classes can utilize the other Force and Tech advanced classes and weapons and gain abilities based on light or dark alignment. The expansion was scheduled for release on December 14, 2021, free for subscribers, but its release date was postponed until February 15, 2022. A new cinematic trailer, titled "Disorder", was released on the same day as the expansion.
Other media
Chronicle Books
Chronicle Books is a San Francisco-based American publisher of books for adults and children.
The company was established in 1967 by Phelps Dewey, an executive with Chronicle Publishing Company, then-publisher of the ''San Francisco Chronicle''. ...
released ''The Art and Making of Star Wars: The Old Republic'' in November 2011, which chronicles the creation of the game and includes concept artwork and interviews from the development team. The book was written by former ''Star Wars Insider'' editor Frank Parisi and BioWare writing director Daniel Erickson. The book includes a foreword by ''Penny Arcade
''Penny Arcade'' is a webcomic focused on video games and video game culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website ''loonygames.com''. Since then, Holkins and Krahulik have establish ...
'' Mike "Gabe" Krahulik.
Leading up to game's release on December 20, BioWare released music tracks from the game each day which were not included with the soundtrack which came with the Collector's Edition of the game. The first track released was titled "The Mandalorian Blockade".
Razer released several peripherals based on the game to coincide with the launch date. The peripherals included custom made keyboards, mice, gaming headsets and mouse pads.
In August 2012, Lego
Lego ( , ; stylized as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of variously colored interlocking ...
announced plans to release two sets based on the game, the ''Sith Fury''-class Interceptor and the ''Striker''-class Starfighter.
At ''Star Wars'' Celebration in 2019, Kathleen Kennedy revealed that Lucasfilm was in the tentative stages of developing an adaptation of ''Knights of the Old Republic''. In May 2019, BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...
reported that Laeta Kalogridis
Laeta Kalogridis ( ) is an American screenwriter and television and film producer of Greek descent. She has written scripts for ''Alexander'' (2004), '' Night Watch'' (2004), ''Pathfinder'' (2007) and ''Shutter Island'' (2010). She also served ...
was writing the first movie in a trilogy based on the game.
Comics
An internet comic
Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books.
Webcomics can be co ...
produced by Dark Horse
A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might.
Origin
Th ...
and written by ''The Old Republic'' developer Rob Chestney offers backstory to the game. The story spans ten years from the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant to the events that start the game. The comic, titled ''Threat of Peace'', was released bi-monthly, and reached its conclusion in March 2010.
A second internet comic titled ''Blood of the Empire'' has been released and follows the story of a Sith apprentice on a dangerous secret mission. It is produced by Dark Horse
A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might.
Origin
Th ...
and written by BioWare's senior writer Alexander Freed. The story is set 25 years before the Treaty of Coruscant, and offers readers a new perspective of the events leading up to the start of ''The Old Republic''. A sneak preview of the art was released, followed by the first issue on April 23, 2010.
Novels
A 256-page novel called ''Deceived'' was released by Del Rey on March 22, 2011. This story, by Paul S. Kemp, tells of Darth Malgus, the Sith Lord responsible for the sacking of Coruscant. Another novel written by Sean Williams called '' Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance'' was published on July 21, 2010. Drew Karpyshyn
Drew Karpyshyn (born July 28, 1971) is a Canadian video game scenario writer, scriptwriter and novelist. He served as a senior writer for BioWare's '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and lead writer for the first two ''Mass Effect'' video ...
wrote a novel titled ''Revan'', published on November 15, 2011. It features Revan
Darth Revan, later known simply as Revan, is the player character of the 2003 role-playing video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and its upcoming remake by BioWare.
A former veteran Jedi knight who lived during the Old Republi ...
, revealing his fate after the ''Knights of the Old Republic'' games. Karpyshyn wrote another novel, '' The Old Republic: Annihilation'', that was released on November 13, 2012.
Reception
''Star Wars: The Old Republic'' has received generally positive reviews from critics, with a score of 85 on Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
and an 84% on GameRankings
GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...
. ''G4TV
G4 (also known as G4TV) was an American pay television and digital network owned by Comcast Spectacor that primarily focused on video games.
The network was originally owned by G4 Media, a joint venture between the NBCUniversal Cable division ...
'' gave a review of 5/5 and praised the game for "Top notch music and voice acting" and "hundreds of hours of content". ''PC Gamer
''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games ma ...
'' gave a 93/100, praising the story, voice acting, and the amount of content available. ''GameSpy
GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1996 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for the game, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameS ...
'' gave a review of 4/5, praising the story lines and companion system but criticising the "standard kill and fetch" quests. ''GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' gave the game 8.0/10, saying " 'The Old Republic''isn't the next step in online role-playing games. Instead, it's a highly entertaining refinement of what has come before it." ''GamesRadar
''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer ...
'' gave the game 8/10 calling it "an extremely satisfying experience that sets the stage for a bright future". The game has received a 9.0/10 "Amazing" rating from ''IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
''. 1Up.com
''1Up.com'' was an American entertainment website that focused on video games. Launched in 2003, ''1Up.com'' provided its own original features, news stories, game reviews, and video interviews, and also featured comprehensive PC-focused conten ...
gave the game a B and stated: "The Old Republic is far from perfect, but no game since World of Warcraft has offered a similar experience with such a wide appeal."[
During ''Star Wars: The Old Republic''s launch week, long queue times were seen on some servers, with BioWare increasing population caps and adding more servers to attempt to resolve them. Some pre-order users discovered they had invalid registration codes. After release, at least one reviewer was less favorable as '']Eurogamer
''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson.
Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EGX ...
'' lowered their rating to a 4/10 from its initial high score.
MSNBC
MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...
awarded ''Star Wars: The Old Republic'' as game of the year. In 2012, The AbleGamers Foundation
The AbleGamers Foundation (also known as The AbleGamers Charity) is an American nonprofit organization dedicated to improving accessibility in the video game space, enabling more people with disabilities to be able to play video games. The charit ...
awarded ''Star Wars: The Old Republic'' as their Mainstream Game for 2011 for being able to accommodate gamers with special needs. It praised the game's features which included many accessibility options, including full subtitles, queue-able actions, multiple action bars, area looting, auto looting, and built-in mouse sensitivity.
Portrayal of Vette
One character, a slave companion for the Sith Warrior named Vette, drew controversy. Writing for ''Kotaku
''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier.
History
...
'', Mike Fahey, after playing the game, recalled players boasting of their torturing of Vette and her low affection rating for them. The ''Daily Mail
The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...
'' cited Fahey's article as a source and published a story the following day alleging that the option to treat Vette decently was not popular or encouraged; the paper was criticized for its lack of evidence for its statements and its selective information, Religion Dispatches researched the matter, surveying 369 players to ask them how they acted. The survey's findings suggested that most players chose the good options and felt uncomfortable doing any evil ones. They suggested that the presence of characters like Vette influenced the player's actions, making them want to take choices that would gain Affection. They also noted that immoral choices in a game can inform better moral behavior in the real world.
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Massively multiplayer online role-playing games
2011 video games
Book series introduced in 2010
Active massively multiplayer online games
BioWare games
Free-to-play video games
LucasArts games
Science fiction massively multiplayer online role-playing games
Space opera video games
Old Republic
Video games developed in the United States
Video games scored by Jason Graves
Video games scored by Lennie Moore
Video games scored by Mark Griskey
Video games with expansion packs
Windows games
Windows-only games
D.I.C.E. Award for Online Game of the Year winners