While we must admit that The Art and Writing of The Old Republic is one panel we sadly missed, Starwars.com has you covered with a full panel report. Check out the excerpt below but make sure to click here for the full read with a new piece of concept art.


"Drew Karpyshyn, Principal Writer at BioWare, kicked off the session by diving into what the true core of The Old Republic is: "Until now, MMOs have shown an impressive commitment to three of the classic pillars of the role-playing game genre: Exploration, Combat, and Progression." However, the fourth pillar has been missing: story. Story is fundamental to the success of RPGs in general. The team is bringing together the strengths of BioWare (with its core mission of creating the best story and emotion-driven games in the world) and LucasArts (with their incredible storytelling heritage) to make a huge change to the MMO space.

It is apparent that the team takes this fourth pillar very seriously. Hall Hood, a Senior Writer on the game, went on at length about the first moment he experienced Star Wars as a world and realized how large that world really is. He wondered about the mysterious aspects that make up this world, such as the clone Wars and the Jedi Order. Things that weren't fully explained in the films made his imagination wander, filling in the unseen shadows just outside of the camera's lens. The writers of The Old Republic aim to invoke that same sense of wonder in the player as they explore the planets and cultures of that world.

Arnie Jorgensen (Lead Concept Artist) and Clint Young (Senior Concept Artist) spoke about how the players should have characters who are memorable as someone more than 'the guy with the mohawk.' The character should be more than just a collection of stats and tired visual tropes; characters need be just as identifiable and enjoyable as everyone's favorite film characters."


In addition, SWTOR.com has added the following video to give you a little taste of space combat in Star Wars: The Old Republic.