news: New Class: Imperial Agent

[Alexrd]

 

Assassin, Saboteur, the Empire’s Secret Weapon

 

The Empire dominates scores of star systems across the galaxy, but not through the power of the dark side alone. Behind the scenes, the cunning Agents of Imperial Intelligence track down and eliminate the Empire’s enemies—from intractable Republic senators to traitorous Imperial Moffs to bloodthirsty rebels with Republic ties. Imperial Agents must master the arts of infiltration, seduction, and assassination to advance the Empire’s causes; they face the opposition of a terrified galaxy and the capriciousness of their own Sith overlords.

 

Imperial Intelligence cultivates a notoriously vast and efficient network of informants, enabling the Agent to navigate the galaxy’s political landscape with effortless suave. Naturally, the Agent’s allegiance to the Empire is without question, but great latitude exists for those so closely attuned to the Empire’s secret agendas—Agents often harbor their own mysterious motivations as well. Having pierced countless layers of intrigue, these spies know of conspiracies within conspiracies. Even close contacts find it hard to predict what an Imperial Agent will do until it’s done.

 

The most elite operative within Imperial Intelligence is the ‘Cipher’ Agent—recruited and trained to carry out the most dangerous and sensitive assignments the Empire has to offer. Whether working undercover or carrying out assignments in broad daylight, the Cipher races along the razor’s edge of disaster, using carefully orchestrated tactics that leave little room for error—the smallest slip-up can be catastrophic. Each successful mission, however, shifts the galactic landscape in the Empire’s favor, and the Agent plays a supremely critical role in securing Imperial domination.

Relations with the Sith

 

The upper echelons of Imperial society are reserved for the Force-sensitive Sith alone, but theirs is a world apart. The heart of the Empire consists of millions of subjects, descendants of the original exiles who settled Dromund Kaas. For these loyal citizens, the Imperial Agent is the exemplar of the highest level of achievement one might aspire to. These are the people the Agent risks everything to protect. Though there are few idealists in Imperial Intelligence, the art of professional perfection is held in deep reverence, and the Agent embodies the Imperial ideal in this respect.

 

Source

[jrrtoken]

Damn, another combat-based class. I'm still waiting for a class that puts more emphasis on impersonal combat and more non-combat scenarios. Unfortunately, TOR seems to be lacking even one per faction.

[Hallucination]

impersonal combat and more non-combat scenarios.

What exactly do you mean by 'impersonal combat'?

Unfortunately, TOR seems to be lacking even one per faction.

Still a pair of classes to go.

[jrrtoken]

What exactly do you mean by 'impersonal combat'?

Using alternative means to combat enemies, without having to directly attack them, i. e. hacking droids, toggling shields and other defense systems, etc.

[RogueJedi86]

DarthHater has an interview about the Imperial Agent up:

http://darthhater.com/2009/11/13/interview-with-jake-neri-on-the-imperial-agent/

 

Of note is mention of the Shiv ability, and the Stealth Belt letting Agent stealth.

[DAWUSS]

What class archetypes do we have left to go? We have the light weapons (smuggler/agent), melee (Jedi/Sith), heavy weapons (BH/Soldier)...

[RogueJedi86]

We're missing crafters and pilots and entertainers!

[playloud]

From a combat perspective, we are missing healers. Perhaps a Combat Medic and Medical Droid being the two remaining classes.

 

Personally, I wouldn't mind some sort of politician class, though that wouldn't be very combat useful. It would however allow for some facinating story options, which is the appealing aspect of this game for me.

 

I was thinking a Slicer might be included, though the Smuggler and Agent will probably have slicing abilities (just a guess).

[RogueJedi86]

But playloud, BioWare already said there won't be dedicated healing classes like WoW and such. So don't expect a healing class.

[Tobias Reiper]

Plus, if it's like the KoTOR games, it'll have force heal, thus DJ and LJ are to be the paladins of TOR.

[RogueJedi86]

Well with the "similar but different", I'd expect Jedi to have a heal or 2, but not the Sith. If the Sith have one, I expect it'd be a self-heal that hurts their foe like Force Drain, while the Jedi heal is a straight Force Heal that works on allies too.

[playloud]

But playloud, BioWare already said there won't be dedicated healing classes like WoW and such. So don't expect a healing class.

Ah, I must have missed that (do you have a link?). It's probably for the best though. It would be tougher to have a good story for a medic I think, consider every mission would probably involve healing others.

Well with the "similar but different", I'd expect Jedi to have a heal or 2, but not the Sith. If the Sith have one, I expect it'd be a self-heal that hurts their foe like Force Drain, while the Jedi heal is a straight Force Heal that works on allies too.

I had the exact same thought on both counts.

 

However, since the game is supposed to be very solo friendly, perhaps every class has a way to heal somewhat.

[Quanon]

Using alternative means to combat enemies, without having to directly attack them, i. e. hacking droids, toggling shields and other defense systems, etc.

 

From looking at the site it does seem, the agent kind of has these things.

 

The little droid, hoovering about him seems to suggest some sort of healing/ shielding ability.

 

One of the skills shown is to raise a small shield. And the other skill seems to be a sort of bombartment. A little silly really.

 

It's still quiet directly. I guess you're more refering to the tricks you could do K1 and TSL via some of the consoles. Blowing from far away

 

That might still be in the game. And as always the info isn't much. There's no telling what other skills the classes have. Or how it plays.

[Giant Graffiti]

Why is it called "Imperial" Agent?

[Alexrd]

Why is it called "Imperial" Agent?

 

Because it works for the Empire...?!

[Giant Graffiti]

But the Empire doesn't exist until 19 BBY.

[Alexrd]

It's the Sith Empire, not the Galactic Empire.

[Giant Graffiti]

I wish Bioware would suddenly become creative.

[Hallucination]

Using alternative means to combat enemies, without having to directly attack them, i. e. hacking droids, toggling shields and other defense systems, etc.

I think that they'll probably include ways of doing that in situations, like in KotOR, and not give specific non-fighting abilities. Wouldn't it be weird to have a skill where you whip a terminal out of your pocket and turn off everyone's shields?

 

Plus Bioware is discussing how they fight, not how they don't fight.

[RogueJedi86]

I wish Bioware would suddenly become creative.

 

They are creative. The Sith Empire name is from the EU. What did you expect them to call the Sith? The Sith Club? Empires are what the Sith are always about(the most famous Empire being ruled by Sith too), so blame the Sith for being uncreative, not BioWare.

 

Not to mention this gives 2 identifiable factions for play. A Republic and an Empire, easy to remember.

[Giant Graffiti]

They are creative. The Sith Empire name is from the EU.

So? That doesn't mean that they have to rip concepts and designs from the Original Trilogy. (Or from the Prequel Trilogy in the Republic Trooper's case.)

 

What did you expect them to call the Sith? The Sith Club? Empires are what the Sith are always about(the most famous Empire being ruled by Sith too), so blame the Sith for being uncreative, not BioWare.

I expected them to call them "the Sith", just as they did with KotOR.

 

(Also, it's sort of strange to call one thing in the game "Sith X" and another one "Imperial X".)

 

Not to mention this gives 2 identifiable factions for play. A Republic and an Empire, easy to remember.

Just as easy as the Republic and the Sith.

 

(Also another thing, every time I see this image I'm reminded of a sentence written by SuperShadow: "During routine Jedi training on Bespin, the Dark Jedi invade wearing jet packs, which send them like a swarm dropping into the upper reaches of the cloud city. These Dark Jedi are seeking to re-establish the legacy of Darth Vader and, hence, they wear a more-advanced-looking version of Darth Vader's mask, helmet and body armor in honor of their fallen hero.".)

[DAWUSS]

It's the Sith Empire, not the Galactic Empire.

 

Sadly enough, placing the two side-by-side, it's almost hard to separate one from the other...

[Rinku]

This isn't a big surprise to me, I mean there needed to be a "gun person" for the sith. I just hope he has more abilities, like healing & such.

[adamqd]

I would of prefered all the non Force/Sith people allied with the "Empire" to be mercs and scum, not enrolled members with a uniform.

[Hallucination]

I would of prefered all the non Force/Sith people allied with the "Empire" to be mercs and scum, not enrolled members with a uniform.

May I ask why? IIRC, in almost every piece of canon the evil guys always had a huge army.