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Future playable species


Shlamorel

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Since voice acting is based on class and not species, is it safe to assume that we will never get to see playable species that are not human-like?

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about (for example) Wookies or Jawas, which do not speak basic language. I am talking about (for example), a species like Yoda or a Gungan (I know they would never add a Yoda-like species, just hear me out).

 

Basically, it seems that if they ever make a species that doesn't look pretty close to the existing species models, the existing voice actors wouldn't sound appropriate for that species, meaning they'd have to go back and redo a voice that matches the new species for the entire story 1-50. This seems unlikely since, again, voice acting is based on class not species - and I imagine it wouldn't really make sense to have a unique actor for 1 species' voice, yet have a single voice actor for every other species that plays a given class.

 

Does this mean we will never have models that look significantly different than what we have now? No little characters (e.g., short like dwarves, or extra tall species, or heck, even a full droid species?). Will they always have the same body types? Will we never be able to play as a full droid class

 

I was just pondering these potential obstacles to future species being added.

Edited by Shlamorel
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On the whole voice-race issue, roll a male Chiss Bounty Hunter. Sounds totally wrong...

 

But there are a few options available. Cathar make sense, there are already mutliple face options for them and have body types 1, 2, 3 and maybe 4. Same goes for Nautolan. They need to come out with human-esque body species, because with the body types, they will actually need to make 8 body "looks", Male 1, Male 2, Male 3, Male 4, Female 1, Female 2, Female 3, Female 4. If they go over and make non-human-bodied races requiring new armor looks on them, it'd take up too many resources that could be used in more important areas.

Edited by Guildrum
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On the whole voice-race issue, roll a male Chiss Bounty Hunter. Sounds totally wrong...

 

But there are a few options available. Cathar make sense, there are already mutliple face options for them and have body types 1, 2, 3 and maybe 4. Same goes for Nautolan. They need to come out with human-esque body species, because with the body types, they will actually need to make 8 body "looks", Male 1, Male 2, Male 3, Male 4, Female 1, Female 2, Female 3, Female 4. If they go over and make non-human-bodied races requiring new armor looks on them, it'd take up too many resources that could be used in more important areas.

 

Oh cool thanks for sharing those species :) I wasn't aware of them.

 

At least there's some home of having some species that don't look identical in figure as what we have now.

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Oh cool thanks for sharing those species :) I wasn't aware of them.

 

At least there's some home of having some species that don't look identical in figure as what we have now.

 

Of course, there are some races we will probably never have. (Mon Calamari, Droids, Wookies, Yoda's Species) But I am optimistic that we will have some more interesting options. (I personally want to be a Weequay)

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Since voice acting is based on class and not species, is it safe to assume that we will never get to see playable species that are not human-like?

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about (for example) Wookies or Jawas, which do not speak basic language. I am talking about (for example), a species like Yoda or a Gungan (I know they would never add a Yoda-like species, just hear me out).

 

Basically, it seems that if they ever make a species that doesn't look pretty close to the existing species models, the existing voice actors wouldn't sound appropriate for that species, meaning they'd have to go back and redo a voice that matches the new species for the entire story 1-50. This seems unlikely since, again, voice acting is based on class not species - and I imagine it wouldn't really make sense to have a unique actor for 1 species' voice, yet have a single voice actor for every other species that plays a given class.

 

Does this mean we will never have models that look significantly different than what we have now? No little characters (e.g., short like dwarves, or extra tall species, or heck, even a full droid species?). Will they always have the same body types? Will we never be able to play as a full droid class

 

I was just pondering these potential obstacles to future species being added.

 

I bet they could add a heroic class (means a class that starts at a higher level than 1, have to have already raised another character to use it. Example, the death knights on wow that started at level 55) later on that allows a species that isn't available for the other classes.

 

Hypothetical: Say they add a Jedi Master or something like that, class that started at 30 or 35 or something (would be with an expansion where the level cap had raised). Well one of the race choices for that class could be the yoda species, as they would be already putting in new voice stuff for that whole class and it wouldn't involve getting back into the pre existing classes and changing stuff up.

 

I guess it wouldn't even need to be a heroic class, could just be a regular new class.

 

Say they made some non-force using melee class, they could make wookies avaible or something, though for alien dialects, they don't really record different words for everything, i think they have like 10 or 15 recordings and play one of the over whatever the alien says, because i have heard the aliens say the same words with completely different subtitles.

 

or Gungans (though, don't know how they would work, they use those shields and throw/launch energy balls. And I don't know if Gungans were discovered yet.

 

There are other races i think they could have incorporated, though I think they figured it would kill some of the immersion to have alien dialects going on, ex. Rodian bounty hunters, and some of the aliens are just ugly, who wants to play as a Duros?

 

Although I think they should have considered Cathar as a choice, don't know a tremendous amount about their lore but i believe they are allies of the republic mostly, some use the force. They could have probably incorporated them into any class. the Juhani (character for KOTOR) fans would have loved making a Cather Jedi.

 

Though that is one example i could see where a new voice actor would be needed, considering I have yet to hear a Cather speak without that funky accent.

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Of course, there are some races we will probably never have. (Mon Calamari, Droids, Wookies, Yoda's Species) But I am optimistic that we will have some more interesting options. (I personally want to be a Weequay)

 

it's too bad we can't have our own HK unit or something. Could imagine the story, you are created and sent to serve someone as a battle droid, or bodyguard, or maybe even the assassin droid, but through some mysterious technology put in you, you develop artificial intelligence to the point of being independent, you then are like the Galaxies first sentient droid. probably a bit corny though :/ HK-47 was already something more advanced than any droid ever made in the star wars universe, even during the movies, if any droid could have achieved all that, it would have been him.

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I'm guessing that we will get more of the less humanoid races eventually, like Kel Dor, Weequay, or possibly even Trandoshan. However, the tradeoff would be that they are unable to pursue romance options, as the animations for the kissing scenes would be really off.
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I'm guessing that we will get more of the less humanoid races eventually, like Kel Dor, Weequay, or possibly even Trandoshan. However, the tradeoff would be that they are unable to pursue romance options, as the animations for the kissing scenes would be really off.

 

Then there's speaking basic, and the stories themselves. If I made a Trandoshan Smuggler, and there is one point in the Smuggler story where I was intercepted by some bounty hunters referring to me as an "easy target". A Trandoshan being an easy target? Then there's the whole thing about excluding them from romances, speaking basic... I think it's too much work for too little reward.

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My one wish for a new playable species is Nautolan. I've seen several of them around (both male and female), I was gutted that they weren't one of the 'unlocked' Legacy races. :(

 

Same for the Cathar and Voss. I would like to see those made playable too, but they don't even touch the sexy Nautolans!

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Then there's speaking basic, and the stories themselves. If I made a Trandoshan Smuggler, and there is one point in the Smuggler story where I was intercepted by some bounty hunters referring to me as an "easy target". A Trandoshan being an easy target? Then there's the whole thing about excluding them from romances, speaking basic... I think it's too much work for too little reward.

 

Now seeing a Trandoshan kiss a humaniod female would be hilarious, her all getting up on that lizard mouth. Though I am sure intimacy would be difficult as certain body parts might be rough, scaly, and sharp.

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It's hilarious enough that Cathar faces are just dissimilar enough in shape to more fully human-like ones (and the standard handful of kissing animations weren't modified to compensate) that the makeout scenes for female troopers consist of torrid, sexy nose-kissing.

 

Don't even get me started on the other weird situations I get into, headcanon-wise, by trying to figure out how similar Cathar are to terrestrial felines.

Edited by Meira_Arirai
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There are some alien species that would be simple to add, like Zeltrons.

 

Then there are others that only need a full set of hi-res animations (If that, they may have them already) Togruta and Nautolans. They will probably add togruta in some expansion further along.

 

My dream species would be Kel Dor however, I've always liked them.

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I really dont see why bioware wont put a larger variety of PLAYABLE species like yoda's or wookies.

 

This is an MMO and even more so it is a STAR WARS mmo, a universe packed with characters of all shapes and sizes, most people who watched the first cgi trailer for TOR had expectations of a vast world where you could play as anything, do anything you wanted from the star wars lore.

 

Ive never played world of warcraft but im well aware of the variety of characters in it, yoda I guess would be the equivelant of a dwarf-type (speaking character height/design wise) why would it be so hard to put them as playable characters?

 

It would be amazing, instead of seeing humans in different custom skins with slight alterations, the most exotic atm being twileks who lets face is are just humans from japanse **** (i kid i kid).

 

 

1 of kotor's biggest strengths imo was when you could switch to the perspective of your companion, this was because it was so cool how you could really feel you were playing as an astro droid or playing as zaalbar the wookie or even hk-47 himself, the variety rocked hardcore, and if they put a crossbow wielding wookie class into TOR id start one immediatly and play it to 50 as a main character, and I can promise you im not alone.

 

https://bk4goa.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pVRE4i7bqtkwW_2SQ-wunD46fLtgdLVqEOc4pGjTGc3bMeGs3-RAOBZobsv4dGZ5HQtUw_RaOqOw/KotOR%20FLU%20006.jpg

 

Oh Damn I mean imagine playing a a dark side wookie Powertech, would be f-ing kickass awesome!

and dont worry too much about the vioce acting, im sure they could spam bear sounds over with subtitles and we wouldnt mind too much. *mrrrraaaaawrrrrrrr rrrr*

 

p.s

And just fyi, I really loved the whole idea behind the pureblood sith, they are by far the best species in the game at the moment, but star wars has a lot more to offer that bioware and ea arent taking into account yet.

Edited by RioNHale
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it's too bad we can't have our own HK unit or something. Could imagine the story, you are created and sent to serve someone as a battle droid, or bodyguard, or maybe even the assassin droid, but through some mysterious technology put in you, you develop artificial intelligence to the point of being independent, you then are like the Galaxies first sentient droid. probably a bit corny though :/ HK-47 was already something more advanced than any droid ever made in the star wars universe, even during the movies, if any droid could have achieved all that, it would have been him.

 

Spolier alert:

 

http://www.torhead.com/guide/leak-1.3

 

agreed its a shame we cant play as a HK, but at least we get this.^

Edited by RioNHale
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I really dont see why bioware wont put a larger variety of PLAYABLE species like yoda's or wookies.

 

This is an MMO and even more so it is a STAR WARS mmo, a universe packed with characters of all shapes and sizes, most people who watched the first cgi trailer for TOR had expectations of a vast world where you could play as anything, do anything you wanted from the star wars lore.

 

Ive never played world of warcraft but im well aware of the variety of characters in it, yoda I guess would be the equivelant of a dwarf-type (speaking character height/design wise) why would it be so hard to put them as playable characters?

 

It would be amazing, instead of seeing humans in different custom skins with slight alterations, the most exotic atm being twileks who lets face is are just humans from japanse **** (i kid i kid).

 

 

1 of kotor's biggest strengths imo was when you could switch to the perspective of your companion, this was because it was so cool how you could really feel you were playing as an astro droid or playing as zaalbar the wookie or even hk-47 himself, the variety rocked hardcore, and if they put a crossbow wielding wookie class into TOR id start one immediatly and play it to 50 as a main character, and I can promise you im not alone.

 

https://bk4goa.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pVRE4i7bqtkwW_2SQ-wunD46fLtgdLVqEOc4pGjTGc3bMeGs3-RAOBZobsv4dGZ5HQtUw_RaOqOw/KotOR%20FLU%20006.jpg

 

Oh Damn I mean imagine playing a a dark side wookie Powertech, would be f-ing kickass awesome!

and dont worry too much about the vioce acting, im sure they could spam bear sounds over with subtitles and we wouldnt mind too much. *mrrrraaaaawrrrrrrr rrrr*

 

p.s

And just fyi, I really loved the whole idea behind the pureblood sith, they are by far the best species in the game at the moment, but star wars has a lot more to offer that bioware and ea arent taking into account yet.

 

I'm sure future expansions will bring more playable species into the mix. They just have to fit into BioWares criteria for playable species: 1. able to speak Basic 2. able to be romanceable(so near human or humanoid species)

 

Wookiees(you spelled it wrong) probably won't make the cut as they do not meet the criteria and honestly as awesome as they might be, could you really sit through a whole class story filled with grunts,growls,roars and subtitle translations? Yoda's species will NEVER be playable in this game or any other(aside from playing Yoda himself in some games), we don't even have a name for them and George Lucas zealously maintains a tight grip on them in lore. Even after GL kicks the bucket his will has the SWU on a pretty short leash and you won't see playable Yoda species.

Edited by Temeluchus
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I'm sure future expansions will bring more playable species into the mix. They just have to fit into BioWares criteria for playable species: 1. able to speak Basic 2. able to be romanceable(so near human or humanoid species)

 

Wookiees(you spelled it wrong) probably won't make the cut as they do not meet the criteria and honestly as awesome as they might be, could you really sit through a whole class story filled with grunts,growls,roars and subtitle translations? Yoda's species will NEVER be playable in this game or any other(aside from playing Yoda himself in some games), we don't even have a name for them and George Lucas zealously maintains a tight grip on them in lore. Even after GL kicks the bucket his will has the SWU on a pretty short leash and you won't see playable Yoda species.

 

There is one incident in the EU that has a Wookiee speaking basic. Granted it is described as a fortunate disability (or something like that) and the wookiee in question is embarrassed by it, but who's to say that 3500+ years before the post-RotJ EU happened that more Wookiees did not have this "disability". Just sayin' there's a way around having a wookiee PC only speaking in grunts and howls that fits into EU lore.

 

getting back to the OP's question. You must have patience. Adding playable races and classes in later content is a staple of MMOs.

Edited by psandak
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There is one incident in the EU that has a Wookiee speaking basic. Granted it is described as a fortunate disability (or something like that) and the wookiee in question is embarrassed by it, but who's to say that 3500+ years before the post-RotJ EU happened that more Wookiees did not have this "disability". Just sayin' there's a way around having a wookiee PC only speaking in grunts and howls that fits into EU lore.

 

getting back to the OP's question. You must have patience. Adding playable races and classes in later content is a staple of MMOs.

 

if I remember correctly his disability made it so his Shyriiwook could be understood more clearly not that he spoke Basic. I'll have to go look it up.

 

EDIT: "Leia Organa Solo encountered a Wookiee with a speech impediment which conveniently rendered his Shyriiwook pronunciation much easier to understand by Leia, who was learning the language at the time."

Edited by Temeluchus
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I've wanted to play as a Cathar since I first heard about SWTOR. And they have plenty of them in the game as NPCs. So Cathar is my first want, and my second would be Togruta. The problem I forsee is that if they introduce one race that is Republic aligned, they would have to also include one that is Imperial aligned, and as far as I can tell, both of the races I want primarily identify as Republic. I don't have any ideas for an Imperial species that is near-human enough to remain consistent with Bioware's philosophy on player character race and to have enough customization options to be unique.

 

But if Cathar comes out on the Republic side, I'll take one to level 50 just to reroll my main Imperial character as a Cathar.

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