These Aren't the Droids You're Looking For...

I really like video games, and I liked blogging about them, so I'm going to make this one of the recurring themes of my blog (it'll probably only be like once a month, though). This week, I'm going to talk about a game I mentioned in my last blog about games: "Star Wars: The Old Republic." This game is an MMORPG, or massively multiplayer online roleplaying game, which is essentially any other video game but a lot of people play it at once. I recently purchased it and have gotten to about level 30 (the level cap is 50) on three different characters.

Let me begin by saying that this game is just immensely well done. There was some dispute about it because it was either too much like World of Warcraft (another MMORPG) or too different. People shouldn't compare the two games, though, because they are completely different in content and story-lines. The only similarity is that, well, they are both MMORPGs.

Star Wars: The Old Republic (or SWTOR) obviously takes place in the Star Wars universe. This consists of, if you haven't seen the movies, peacekeeping Jedi facing off against power-hungry Sith because of the Siths' oppressive rule by their Emperor. The Jedi and Sith are both Force-sensitive, meaning they are strong (or weak depending on the person) in the ways of the Force, which is an unseen force that binds their galaxy together and flows through their bodies as a source of power. The Sith fuel the Force with their hatred, where the Jedi power it with compassion and peace.

In SWTOR, you can choose from eight different classes and nine races, although some races are not available for specific classes. Some classes are specific to the Republic and the Jedi, where are others are specific to the Empire and the Sith. The Republic classes are Jedi Knight, Jedi Consular, Smuggler, and Trooper. The Empire classes are Sith Inquisitor, Sith Warrior, Bounty Hunter, and Imperial Agent. The races are Human, Cyborg, Twi'lek, Miraluka, Mirialan, Rattataki, Chiss, Zabrak, and Sith Purebloods.

One of the things I think is great about this game is that you are treated differently based on the choice you make between race and class. For example, I did the same quest on my Bounty Hunter that I did on my Sith Warrior. I was more respected as the Warrior, whereas my Bounty Hunter was treated like a last resort, a gun-for-hire. Everyone calls my Warrior "my lord," too, which I think is pretty great.

The choices you make in-game even have effects. You can please or anger companions with some choices, which leads to a gain or loss of approval. This approval can cause your character and their companions (which are non-player characters, or NPCs) to become friends, enemies, even lovers if you choose. Some choices also yield light- and dark-side points. The points can grant you new items, unlock things, and even change your appearance if you go too far over to the dark-side. These moral choices were a great addition to the game in my opinion, they were the icing on top of the wonderful SWTOR cake.

So, to make a long story short ("Too late," as Colonel Mustard would say... sorry, that reference has nothing to do with Star Wars), this game is fantastic, and I believe everyone should give it a shot. Even if you don't like video games but you love Star Wars! I'm sorry to say, though, that none of the movie characters are in it. It's a fun experience, however, to even get to play as a Jedi or Sith, to see things sort of through their eyes. In fact, once I'm finished writing this blog, I'm probably going to go stir up some trouble with my Bounty Hunter.

Thanks for reading!