My dream STAR WARS game

[Falmarin]

OK, I'm a little peeved off with Star Wars games that have been released in recent years. Generally the games have been sticking to tried and true formulas - with some 'safe' exceptions, such as Republic Commando (Squad Tactic / FPS Action hybrid - still isn't much of a risk title). I think that Star Wars Galaxies has no atmosphere & caters to the typical MMO crowd, because you know... Star Wars is for 1337 g4m3rs.

 

Now, a little history of my own tastes so you might know where I'm coming from; I love free & open ended games like The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind, the Grand Theft Auto series, Pirates!, Freelancer, Privateer, Elite, and the Gothic series of games - there is nothing better than having control over the action of your character in a 'sandbox-esque' world.

 

I'm also in love with the classic Lucas Arts X-Wing series (X-Wing, Tie Fighter, X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter, X-Wing Alliance); I loved the atmosphere of these games, and the simple yet complex power management system the player had to cope with... it really felt like you were behind the controls of a powerful weapon.

 

I liked Republic Commando; the atmosphere was amazing, the attention to detail was amazing, the gameplay was great. I loved Jedi Knight I and II, II especially with it's saber system - one of the first Star Wars games I've played which truly made saber combat fun.

 

KotOR was one of the best Star Wars games ever, the atmosphere and story were just right, the dialog and voice acting were incredible. The minigames were the only down side.

 

The Deus Ex / Thief / Splinter Cell mode of gameplay is tops, sneaking in the shadow and dispatching enemies silently is fun and suspenseful, some of the greatest moments in games were in these games.

 

With that out of the way, we'll continue with my dream game.

 

So basically what I'd like to see is a game which combines all of the elements of the above games. YES, YES, YES, I know what you're going to say, "THAT SOUNDS FREAKING UNFEASABLE. HOW WOULD A DEV TEAM PULL THAT OFF?" Well, hear me out. I don't think that such a game would be out of league for game studios which have experience in creating massive games with massive content / situations. Take a developer like Bethsoft, and give them the Star Wars license and watch them run with it.

 

This game would essentially be a Star Wars version of Morrowind, except it would take place on multiple planets (around as many as were featured on Star Wars Galaxies) and it would take place in space as well... except with revved up gameplay (one of Morrowind's weakest elements).

 

Land size would be about equal if not more than Star Wars Galaxies for each planet - except with MUCH more content than was available in Star Wars Galaxies. The game would be single player only and from the get go we get a Morrowind-esque/KotOR-esque character generator, with the ability to choose your species, gender, appearance, stats, and whether or not your character is force sensitive. The game would allow you the possibility to join factions, such as the Imperials, Rebels, numerous neutral factions, or maybe even swoop-racing guilds.

 

Gameplay would be reminiscent of Republic Commando and Jedi Knight II combined. Imagine that as you improve your stats your weapon sites become less shaky, or your lightsaber is swung more accurately and forcefully (this leveling up element would be similar to Deus Ex). You'd also have the ability to purchase ships and fly them with gameplay reminiscent of the X-Wing Series (except with faster ship speed - closer to the movies) - leveling up in space would be similar, as your skills get better in say, starship weapon accuracy, your crosshairs become more accurate - as your skills get better in starship control, suppose that your ship becomes more manageable.

 

I would love to see this sort of game, I would literally wet my pants. I mean it. I would wet my pants while heaping wads of cash in Lucasarts' direction. Add comments/criticism/additional elements that you'd like to see.

[Astrotoy7]

wow, thats alot of effort to put into fantasising about somethin.... my fantasies usually involve a jacuzzi full o' naked women and my girflriend cookin some burgers for us all wearin nuthin but an apron

 

* * *

 

this type of talk used to be rife at the JK forums back in the days...

 

yes yes, I want a MMO/RPG that is liek KOTOR and TIE FIGHTER but looks like rogue squadron....or somethin liek that

 

just wait for pcs/game systems to develop accordingly and these things will eventually happen, because SW is a cash cow that loves to be milked

 

mtfbwya

[Falmarin]

I don't know if Lucasarts would have the balls though

[Sivy]

I don’t think we’ll ever see a successful ‘hybrid’ star wars game because they just aren’t willing to spend the time and money making it right. Games like 'shadows of the empire' 'and 'Roque Squadron III' tried to combine different elements, but neither were successful.

The only way they could make a good hybrid game is if they treated it as separate games with different engines and different developers. And then find a way to interlock them into one game.

which is never going to happen.

 

but yeah, i would love a KotOR with mini-games like a 'tie figter' type flight sim and an 'empire at war' type RTS

[Kurgan]

It's much easier (and more profitable) for them to create specialized games with more one "type" of gameplay.

 

Sure you get stuff like flying ships in a ground action game, etc, but it's far less complex than if they made a dedicated ship flying simulator.

 

Think about it, JA had "some RPG elements" and "some ship flying" and yet it was still at the heart, a first person shooter. Compare it to XWA (or Rebel Strike) or KOTOR2 (or SWG) and you can see those "bonus elements" were pretty shallow (by comparison to the dedicated game). They were fun an enhanced the game with options, but you get the idea.

[Prime]

Originally posted by Sivy

I don’t think we’ll ever see a successful ‘hybrid’ star wars game because they just aren’t willing to spend the time and money making it right.

Which is probably wise, since it would be a lot of time and money.

[Falmarin]

I disagree, I think it is totally possible if you have the right team working on the game. Take bethsoft for example - Morrowind is neither a straight on action game, rpg game, stealth game, or magic game, but it combines these elements to make a nifty package. Their latest game coming out, Oblivion is the synthesis of the open world game type with even deeper options and gameplay.

 

I think that developers and production companies in general just don't have the courage to step up and take on a task like this - which in my opinion would be certainly a workable game. Take Star Wars Galaxies for example which is a semi-genre mixing game - it has distinct flight and ground gameplay, they didn't do it well, and the content is lacking, but it shows a direction towards more open ended game type (albiet online gaming)

 

Also recent games in the Lucasart lineups that were 'hybrids' weren't really true hybrids - JA was just an action game with glorified/simplified RPG elements. The trick to making a hybrid game as I describe is that ALL elements must get equal attention. Here's another example from Bethsoft; in their new game Oblivion they've hired a Thief veteran developer to head up the stealth section of the game.

[General Kenobi]

I agree it's not impossible to do anything. Take for example the Star Wars Revelations movie. That sucker is done literally for free and to be honest the first time I watched the preview it took me 1/2 way through to realize it wasn't a Lucasforums movie (since I didn't read the credits ) I was all excited that a "better" looking movie was coming out. With staring female characters

 

Just goes to show you that money isn't all in movies/games and the like. I watched that preview over and over and it was on par with anything I've seen come through ILM with the last couple Star Wars movies.

 

I've noticed Lucas has a tendency to just spice up scenes with 5,000,000,000 characters and just try to make you go "WOW" over and over. I personally think LucasArts pushes the games too much without polishing them off.

 

I'm a modder and over in Holowan there are projects in the works that literally "shames" the devs. of the game. I don't know if they were that pushed for time or if they just simply didn't try.

[El Sitherino]

Unlike freelance modders, game developers have schedules they have to keep.

[Astrotoy7]

Originally posted by Darth Melignous

.... I watched the preview it took me 1/2 way through to realize it wasn't a Lucasforums movie (since I didn't read the credits ) I was all excited that a "better" looking movie was coming out......

 

that's crap and you know it ! NOTHIN is better than a Lucasforums movie...

 

*videotapes sithy scratchin himself and Kurgan pumpin iron with SW music in the background*

 

mtfbwya

[samuel]

Haha..lol....man astro you say some funny s***....ah yea...anyways my thoughts on the matter are simply this: It wont happen the way you want, the closest you will get (and it is pretty close...with adsl...as opposed to 56k *blushes*) is SWG which is getting better all the time.

 

I once had a fantasy of a perfect game like you do, but I thought that game finally came out with galaxies then i realised you couldnt hunt in a group without getting messages 5 mins late...But yeah, after this dissapointment my gaming fantasies have slowly been replaced by dreams of jacuzzi's...always utilised with naked ladies...and...*starts dreaming*

[Falmarin]

I don't think an online game would ever sate my appetite. Just something about trying to role play in an MMO which always never works out.

[El Sitherino]

I've often found in MMORPG's everyone else pretty much sucks, and you have to do everything yourself...

[samuel]

that is true...and dont you hate it how some people make an income off begging...

"oh hey im new...have any money to spare?""

"if you are new you probably need weaps and armor most, and here is a vehicle to get you from a to b"

"Yeah, do you have any money to spare?"

"Well im giving you what you NEED, so you can make money, plus what im giving you couldnt be bought with the money i could spare"

"But i didnt ask for money you %$(^^%%^&*$".....

 

 

/sigh