Ranger Archive
Thread: Review of ToOW: Look at the Highlighted
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Master_Mavric
Thu Oct 20, 2005 5:12 pm
#1
During a recent meeting with LucasArts, we had an opportunity to get our first look at the closed beta version of Star Wars Galaxies: Trials of Obi-Wan in action. Designed with mid- to high-level players (combat levels 60-80) in mind, the third Star Wars Galaxies expansion pack is set exclusively on the volcanic planet of Mustafar, which is where Anakin and Obi-Wan's final battle takes place in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The fiery, inhospitable surface of Mustafar is quite unlike anything that's ever been seen in Star Wars Galaxies to date, and the 50-plus new quests and missions that you'll find there will be more story-driven and directed than what's gone before.
Trials of Obi-Wan won't feature any new space content, so to get to Mustafar you'll simply choose to be transported to the planet's starport using one of your own craft or an interplanetary shuttle. One of the first things you'll notice about Mustafar is that the visuals there represent a significant improvement over those found anywhere else in the Star Wars Galaxies universe, including the planet Kashyyyk from the Rage of the Wookiees expansion released earlier this year. The building interiors are nicely lit and use textures taken straight out of Episode III. There are windows through which you can see what's going on outside (a first for the game), and the planet actually feels alive because of the smoking volcanoes and the pools of lava that are bubbling violently. The lava on Mustafar looks great, but if you get too close to it you'll find that environmental hazards are now a feature of Star Wars Galaxies for the first time. The only safe ways to cross lava will be astride one of the new lava flea mounts (great-looking, giant red bugs) or aboard the new eight-passenger transport skiff (as seen in The Return of the Jedi) preorder bonus item.
Other new items in Trials of Obi-Wan will include a large bunker house with three underground stories, a YT-2400 multipassenger ship fashioned after that used by Dash Rendar (the star of the Nintendo 64 game Shadows of the Empire), and a veritable arsenal of weapons, such as the lava cannon that we got to see in action during our demonstration, and a sword fashioned from the horn of a creature indigenous to Mustafar. Creature handlers can look forward to taming three new types of creatures on Mustafar (including the aforementioned lava flea), entertainers will find new songs and dances to learn there, and Jedi players will no doubt be eager to get their hands on lava crystals that can be used in lightsaber construction.
Many of the new items to be found on Mustafar will take the form of quest rewards, many of which will change from time to time so that you have an incentive to replay some of the planet's most challenging instanced areas and dungeons. Objects such as new weapons, armor pieces, and décor items will be plentiful on Mustafar, although many of them will be looted in the form of multiple pieces that will require assembly. Getting your hands on all of this great loot won't be a walk in the park, of course, and you'll likely want to get into a decent group before tackling any of the enemies of the Force and large creatures that call Mustafar home.
You'll find some friends, as well as enemies, on Mustafar, including the ghost of Obi-Wan and Mustafarian miners. During our demonstration we got to see one particularly action-packed mission in which you'll side with a group of miners as they defend themselves from a droid army commanded by none other than HK-47 (you might remember him from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic). The battle that ensued afforded us a great opportunity to check out some of the new weapon effects that the expansion will add to Star Wars Galaxies. We also got to see a player setting explosive charges on the ground and then using a detonator in his inventory to set them off when enemies approached them.
Star Wars Galaxies: Trials of Obi-Wan is a good-looking expansion pack that promises to add plenty of new action-packed content to a universe that's already embroiled in a galactic civil war. It's unlikely that newcomers to Star Wars Galaxies will benefit from the Trials of Obi-Wan expansion pack until they've spent some time leveling up their characters. But veterans of the game who aren't already beta-testing on Mustafar will no doubt be preordering in the thousands so that they can go check out the new planet on October 25--a full week before the digital download is scheduled for release.
By Justin Calvert
Does this suggest something to anyone else? Or do I just have high hopes?
AgonThalia
Thu Oct 20, 2005 6:42 pm
#2
Master_Mavric wrote:
We also got to see a player setting explosive charges on the ground and then using a detonator in his inventory to set them off when enemies approached them.
Interesting
I will try to follow up on this
WeiQuin
Fri Oct 21, 2005 8:01 am
#3
I noticed that the other day myself, but there is a quest where you have to plant explosives in creature hives to destroy them, and dismissedit as that (although you just /use and run, not detonator... hmmm)
WildBil2Me
Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:00 am
#4
WeiQuin wrote:
I noticed that the other day myself, but there is a quest where you have to plant explosives in creature hives to destroy them, and dismissedit as that (although you just /use and run, not detonator... hmmm)
Doesn't one of the hero quests require placing explosives as well?
I wonder whether the "detonator" is just a touch of color and not actual mechanics...
We'll see...
Master_Mavric
Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:09 am
#5
I dont know /shrug. Im not better the moisture farm or anything. It just cought my attention. From reading what Tiggs has wrote in verious threads, I get the impression that this has been in the works for some time and that it has already seen extensive testing in-house. I would not put it past the dev team to push it to live with little to no TC time.
WildBil2Me
Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:21 am
#6
Master_Mavric wrote:
I dont know /shrug. Im not better the moisture farm or anything. It just cought my attention. From reading what Tiggs has wrote in verious threads, I get the impression that this has been in the works for some time and that it has already seen extensive testing in-house. I would not put it past the dev team to push it to live with little to no TC time.
There has been a pretty decent Beta period for ToOW. I think pushing it to TC before pushing it live makes sense also ... to really stress test some of the issues ... but I'm sure alot of it has been ironed out if not at least identified.
Typical MO seems to be identify problems and then slate them for correction irregardless of the release timetable. It's not a bad thing... just something we've come to expect.
As for the Hero quest I was just wondering if the mechanics might be similar ... the detonator just being color commentation on the part of the author. Maybe some of the Beta folks here know - I don't.
Athela
Sat Oct 22, 2005 5:59 am
#7
We also got to see a player setting explosive charges on the ground and then using a detonator in his inventory to set them off when enemies approached them.
This is likely part of the "Clear the beetle nests" quest where you place charges on the nests. It may be a forerunner though, of how the mechanic of placing charges would go for the new ranger.
Athela
Nemo0
Sun Oct 23, 2005 12:34 am
#8
There is a quest I have read about where you can place explosive charges in preparation for an attack. It is possible to detonate those charges (even hurting your team mates in the process). I'm not going to say more about it because I don't want to spoil any potential surprises but I'm assuming this is what is being referred to.
On a positive note, a skill like this does mean that something quite similar to our traps is already working and "ready" for release.
On a positive note, a skill like this does mean that something quite similar to our traps is already working and "ready" for release.
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