Some of the rarer orange sets like the supreme inquisitors set for example are among my favourites and even the panther and vendetta sets for IA's . Besides being a good source of income for me i have had a great time compiling them for my main toon and alts . These sets are much more simple and suit their class perfectly , with the invent of the new gear and it's ability to be augmented these early sets are becoming less popular which is a shame. I have collected over 100 pieces of these various sets hoping that in the future they may also be able to have augments attached so that once again they will be worn with pride. I was also wondering why some of these sets have one particular piece that is super rare , for example i have only ever seen one pair of the panther gloves and was lucky enough to buy them and swap them for the saber marshals ones that i needed.

I basically agree with OP here but there's a few things to bear in mind:

 

This isn't OT era Star Wars. KOTOR always had a different aesthetic to the OT which, to be honest, I found quite distracting at first but once you play the game for a while (KOTOR, I mean) you start to appreciate it. I mean of course things are going to look and feel different in time periods 3000 years apart; if anything it's ludicrous how similar they are! This is the conceptual difficulty inherent in the KOTOR universe: we're here because we want to play 'Star Wars' but it logically can't be Star Wars. The point is that they're creating their own world, and I actually think they're doing a good job of it. It has all the familiar hallmarks of SW but the lore in SWTOR is all KOTOR (Malak, Taris, Shan legacy, Rakghouls!) They have more license to dictate the way characters dress than OP is suggesting.

 

Secondly, the difference made by Orange armor matters. Really the choice is entirely in the hands of the player. I'm still modding the same set of brown robes I've had since Coruscant, because I'm a Jedi and that's what I want to look like. As far as I'm concerned, people can have big spiky elaborate helms etc if that's what they want, but it's a character decision. If I see someone dressed like that, I don't think 'epic', I think 'ostentatious'. but, y'know, some people are

 

I suppose what I'm saying is that, as a SW nerd, what I really want is a pure OT based SW game where it feels exactly like it does in the movies. This can't exist though, for the simple reason that there were no Jedi at this time (SWG made no sense for this reason!), and - with a few natural reservations - I'm very happy with what we've been given as an alternative.

Edited April 24, 2012 by Mr_Jonse

I would agree, except the prequels kinda also missed the mark in terms of Star Wars design Aesthetic

 

Actually when it comes to jedi and sith the prequels are amazing when it comes what they sjould look like.

http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/5/50/Anakin_QuiGon.jpg

http://content6.flixster.com/question/36/33/26/3633268_std.jpg

http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/23600000/Anakin-and-Obi-wan-star-wars-revenge-of-the-sith-23602987-1280-1024.jpg

 

SWTOR characters that actually looks good and belong in the star wars universe

http://arbitraryknowledge.com/uploads/2012/02/MalgusSateleHope1.jpg

Thank you for this post. For the life of me I cant understand why my Assassin is wearing armor that mimics animials...birds and now the hobo from the black lagoon. Why are all the high end items for my Assassin torn and shreded? Do they not have tailors in this advanced age? I can fly a spaceship faster then light but I hand sew my own cloths? Hard to fathom the Stealthy Assassin wearing bright colors, feathers or having tenticals sticking out of their helmet. Watching the CGI movies..you see those guys and go..ya they look BA. I see my character in WH gear and think...looks like a clown. Why arnt some of the armors from the movies being used? I mean its right there.render it and put it in game.

Just going to leave this here

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xeOzo0Axgj0/TLFITZpfYpI/AAAAAAAAA0U/up5tClNlkKU/s1600/img-bh_sith_lord.jpg

 

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j23/poyodiablo/Before%20and%20After/doubleBladed_jedi.jpg

 

Its simple, not overwhelming but holds true the star wars IP and its extremely fitting for an "assassin". I would reroll an assassin in a heartbeat if I could look that freaking awesome.

Edited April 24, 2012 by RizzaForumz
moar pic

I would say the biggest problem with the costumes is down to the sheer lack of understanding what players want.

 

Lets take the newest Smuggler outfit? It makes you look like Robin Hood or William Tell! It's green and has that stupid pointed hat. Now people play Smugglers because they are drawn by the 'street' theme and raw gun fighting gameplay style. The trouble is that Bioware nailed it with the early outfits by having bomber jackets, heavy materials like leather and so on but lost focus as they progressed to higher levels and forced players into being Cowboys. Even the trenchcoats which you see in the mid 40s have that stupid collar that makes you look like you're all set to survive the sinking of the Titanic.

 

Smugglers want to look like more than just cowboys, they want to look casual but cool not exotic and difficult to take seriously. Sith Warriors want to be more than Darth Vader. They want to be back in their robes as well. Inquisitors want to look menacing and exotic, not like wizards with pointy hats and horned helmets that look like they borrowed it from Gengis Khan. In fact the only classes where Bioware has done players proud is with the Bounty Hunter, Trooper and the Agent and that is largely down to them not trying to force a specific theme onto the class.

 

The Agent costumes run the full gamut from casual street clothes to smart imperial uniforms to light-weight combat gear and high-tech assassin bodysuits. Why can't every class have that kind of diversity?

Edited April 24, 2012 by Tal-N

Just going to leave this here

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xeOzo0Axgj0/TLFITZpfYpI/AAAAAAAAA0U/up5tClNlkKU/s1600/img-bh_sith_lord.jpg

 

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j23/poyodiablo/Before%20and%20After/doubleBladed_jedi.jpg

 

Its simple, not overwhelming but holds true the star wars IP and its extremely fitting for an "assassin". I would reroll an assassin in a heartbeat if I could look that freaking awesome.

 

That looks very nice, dark as it should be. The warhero marauder chest is some of the worst armor i have ever seen. And a very nice topic made by the op.

I have [seen the prequels]. And they're ok - best part about them is the action and the acrobatics of the lead martial artists. Jedi and Sith do in fact look like Jedi and Sith and most of the classes that appear in the new (lesser tho than the original) trilogy are still faithful to the traditional SW aesthetic. The new trilogy is still far better in design then the armor designs in this game. All the austentatious stuff was left to the politicians and queens.

 

Precisely right--in fact, Lucas is on record as pointing out that he did want this period--the last gasp of the Galactic Republic--to look somewhat more stylized and Art Deco, to contrast it from the grittier Galactic Empire.

 

But it's important to first keep in mind that at the period of the prequel movies, the Republic is bloated, corrupt, and has been dying of its own accord for a long time.. In fact, there is a strong parallel to the dying Successor States (the Hellenistic civilizations that followed Alexander the Great's death), in that as they grew more powerful and richer, their cultures and their soldiers became increasingly weighed down (figuratively and literally) with spectacular frivolity. The phalanx of Alexander was lightly equipped and quite mobile; compared to its slow, cumbersome Successor descendants, it is almost unrecognizable. And sure enough, the no-nonsense Romans were well able to take advantage of it.

 

But enough of the history lessons. The point is that the Republic of the prequels is not really the same Republic of TOR's time period. And in any event, it is really only the Naboo (who are a special case) which have such "flair"--look at the rest of the Republic:

 

Senate Guard, in what is clearly a dress uniform (we only see them at the Senate, in a time of peace no less). A bit bulky, sure, but no question he could have fought in this.

 

The star cruiser that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are riding in at the beginning of the movie. It is only as "stylized" as the Corellian Corvette Princess Leia will be captured on in a few decades.

 

The Jedi Council

 

Trade Federation equipment is clearly "functional" in its design--a sign of the changing times.

 

And for that matter, take a closer look at what the Naboo SOLDIERS wear: simple, efficient padded armor.

Hello I haven't been to the forums since pre release for RP but ill get to the point. The endgame Rigs for Troopers seem..a little daft with the shapes. I also think most Republic regular military troopers had better gear. Take the Taris units they had dark green armour! Hoth and Illum had a snowtrooper look.

 

I also spent so long working on looking like a true Trooper (White armour with markings) And since Omega Squad matte black armour that is incredibly hard to do!

i completely agree and have mentioned in another post in the consular section that the designs just dont fit with the lore of star wars, which drew most of us to this game in the first place.

 

i have seen a lot of the designs for the end game consular armour worn by princess amadala in episode 1 and 2, but she wasnt a jedi, she was a princess in the 1st film and a senator in the 2nd, so quite how that ties in with any kind of jedi design is beyond me, but worse still, is the new smuggler design armour was worn in the films by an operative, not a smuggler, so not only did they get the armour wrong, its for the wrong side.

 

btw, as a die hard star wars fan since the first film was released, (yes, i'm that old), episode 2 is hands down the worst of the 6 films, and taking any sort of design cues from the worst film in the series is unforgivable.

the devs know what star wars is. they also know that people play mmos to be/look uber in a fantasy environment.

 

they want the endgame gear to be instantly recognizable and reek uberness.

 

thats the only reason for their design direction.

 

now you can keep the orange armor and continue to mod it, the game gives you that option. missing set bonuses? so what? the endgame content is not hard and if you collect datacrons you'll more than make up for the lost set bonus. PERIOD.

 

/thread.

Edited April 24, 2012 by Ricktur

i completely agree and have mentioned in another post in the consular section that the designs just dont fit with the lore of star wars, which drew most of us to this game in the first place.

 

i have seen a lot of the designs for the end game consular armour worn by princess amadala in episode 1 and 2, but she wasnt a jedi, she was a princess in the 1st film and a senator in the 2nd, so quite how that ties in with any kind of jedi design is beyond me, but worse still, is the new smuggler design armour was worn in the films by an operative, not a smuggler, so not only did they get the armour wrong, its for the wrong side.

 

btw, as a die hard star wars fan since the first film was released, (yes, i'm that old), episode 2 is hands down the worst of the 6 films, and taking any sort of design cues from the worst film in the series is unforgivable.

 

Even Phase 1 Plastoid Body Armour? I love the old Clone Troopers rigs

Even Phase 1 Plastoid Body Armour? I love the old Clone Troopers rigs

 

i was actually talking specifically about the consulars armour, there is actually some really cool looking armour for all classes while you are levelling, and even some of the end game gear is quite nice, heck, for women, apart from the helmet, the columi/rakata consulars gear looks good, it looks awful on male character tho, and has nothing to do with jedi in the slightest, and thats my problem with it, even the daftest person out there understands there is a difference between dress clothes and work clothes, just as there is a difference between dress uniforms and actual battle uniforms, but it seems the designers dont, i'd rather have my jedi running about in the armour thats on the splash screen, the stuff the npc's wear, i think that looks awesome, just as i would like to have my trooper running around in battle armour, without the toast rack and camel hump

I agree with you. BW dropped the ball on end game gear. Watch the movies again and put us back in that universe! Not some crazy place where Jedi Knights dress up like robotic grasshoppers and my agent looks like he got his gear at a second hand store in Ohio.

PERIOD.

 

/thread.

 

Translation: I'm afraid of other people destroying my flimsy argument with a well thought out counter argument so I think I'll try and avoid that by announcing an end to all discussions. I'm also the kind of person who likes to get into arguments with other people, send them nasty tells and then immediately put them on ignore so they can't reply back. I'm a real winner!

 

PERIOD.

 

/thread

Translation: I'm afraid of other people destroying my flimsy argument with a well thought out counter argument so I think I'll try and avoid that by announcing an end to all discussions. I'm also the kind of person who likes to get into arguments with other people, send them nasty tells and then immediately put them on ignore so they can't reply back. I'm a real winner!

 

PERIOD.

 

/thread

 

WEAK.

 

no i think what it is, is that i spoke truth, truth to the point where no counter argument could be submitted. thus, i am better than you. why you ask? because you never submitted a counter argument because i am truth. mission accomplished sucka.

WEAK.

 

no i think what it is, is that i spoke truth, truth to the point where no counter argument could be submitted. thus, i am better than you. why you ask? because you never submitted a counter argument because i am truth. mission accomplished sucka.

 

You just gang signed him after typing that, didn't you?

Very well written OP, I concur.

 

i was actually talking specifically about the consulars armour, there is actually some really cool looking armour for all classes while you are levelling, and even some of the end game gear is quite nice, heck, for women, apart from the helmet, the columi/rakata consulars gear looks good, it looks awful on male character tho, and has nothing to do with jedi in the slightest, and thats my problem with it, even the daftest person out there understands there is a difference between dress clothes and work clothes, just as there is a difference between dress uniforms and actual battle uniforms, but it seems the designers dont, i'd rather have my jedi running about in the armour thats on the splash screen, the stuff the npc's wear, i think that looks awesome, just as i would like to have my trooper running around in battle armour, without the toast rack and camel hump

 

That's the Jedi Battlelord Armor Set (or the level 20 legacy gear if you prefer gray,) and thankfully, it's an orange set. I couldn't agree with you more, and it's exactly what I sport. As soon as I get anything from a HM or Ops, out come the mods, and it goes into that.

Edited April 26, 2012 by TheSeventhJedi

It's interesting how there are plenty of good looking gear items - but for some reason the good PvP and PvE stuff? Looks terrible. That's what confuses me the most. Some the items I had at level 20 look way better than Tionese/Columi/Raka and the new Campaign/Black Hole. Now that doesn't make sense to me. It's as if Bioware has an unspoken philosophy of aesthetics: Increased stats = Decreased beauty, and vice versa.

 

Is this common in other mmos? The only other mmo I've played was the "game that shall not be named" trial and so I can't speak for gear appearance past level 20.

I said it before, and I will say it again:

We don't believe in the designs because the designs aren't believable.

 

First thanks to the OP for taking the time to write this great article and to the others who added a lot to the subject.

 

Then IMHO BioWare has mostly 3 issues right now:

• First trying too much to make classes iconic
  
• Second overdo the gear
  
• Third imposing cloaks and shoulder pads, as attached to the chest piece
  

 

Would they tune down the above it would not be as bad.

Great job OP I agree completly with you.

I agree with OP, and think that armour is not exactly how star wars should look like, BUT I think that in general terms, we are being mind closed in terms of "what a bounty hunter should look like" or a "sith should look like"

 

WHAT I MEAN: We got a lot of examples of characters that, as we see them in movies, DON'T LOOK LIKE THEIR CLASS IS SUPOSED TO BE DRESSED. So, it is not only a matter of horrible designs, i think there is also a lack of diversity, having bounty hunters that ALL have to be like Boba fett (mandalorians) OR having Jedi that ALL have to look like Mace Windu.

 

 

SOME EXAMPLES OF CHARACTERS FROM STAR WARS THAT DON'T LOOK LIKE THEIR CLASS IS SUPOSSED TO LOOK LIKE

 

BOUNTY HUNTER:

Aurra Sing: wears no armour, got gadgets and sexy jumpsuit

4-LOM: In fact, is a protocol droid. So we could asume he simply is dirty

Zuckuss: wears ROBE as a jedi!!

Bossk: Some kind of Space suit!!

Dengar: Wears no helmet!! AND it's armour is similar to that of troopers

Cad Bane: Western like

Djas Puhr: Dark green jacket and pants, no armour

Zam Vessel: wears a coat and normal pants, only the helmet and gadgets resembles Boba fett

Greedo WAS a bounty hunter too! and he wore green suit and orange vest...

 

JEDI:

Luke in EMPIRE: Soldier on Hoth and Pilot on bespin

Luke in JEDI: Under the robe wears BLACK suit

Anakin: Black suit with leather.

LOTS of jedi in attack of the clones: No robe, just as Luke in tatooine.

Aayla Secura: sexy top and pants

Voolvif Monn: No pants, no sleeves, brown "poncho"

Asoka Tano: Top no robe

Kyle katarn: "Trooper-smuggler" suit

Quinlan Vos: Leathery Black suit without sleeves

Bariss offe: wears black tight suit and cape...

 

SMUGGLER:

 

Bo Shek: Black Pilot Suit

Mara Jade: Seems an operative although working for karrde

Deliah Blue: Sexy jumsuits and tops, leggins

Dash Rendar: Paded armour

Lando Calrissian: Blue shirt and blue cape

Look at Ephant mon... or even chewie.

 

SITH:

Darth tyranus (noble suit and BROWN cape)

Darth Talon (sexy wrapped clothes)

Savage Opress: Yellow. With trooper armour or no chest.

Darth malak: Red jumpsuit and cape

Vader's secret apprentice from force unleashed:"training" grey clothes pant and shirt

Imperial knights (not exactly sith, but imperial force users): Red armour

 

TROOPERS:

Bespin Guards without armour

Red Imperial Guards, with capes.

Rebel Soldiers (Tantive IV): Blue shirt and armoured black vest

Rebel soldiers on Hoth: White uniform, no armour.

Naboo soldiers: Yellow jumpsuits or red padded vests, still no armour

Death Star or Destroyer army trooper: Imperial Black suit, no armour

Rebel commandos on Endor: Cammo uniform, still no armour

 

OPERATIVES:

Grand Admiral thrawn is dressed in WHITE with pauldrons!

Juno Eclipse: Imperial "showing" black suit

Princess Leia: Ceremonial white outfit

Momaw Nadon (ithorian rebel spy): Normal ithorian robes

Orrimaarrko (prune face): Hooded robes

Garindan: Again Black robe...

 

I mean WHY CAN I HAVE A SMUGGLER'S VEST to be used in my JEDI?????

Edited May 2, 2012 by rickyard

I don't know what you are talking about. But the swtor high ended pvp and pve armor designs are by far the ugliest designs I've ever seen in my life! Sure being creative is awesome, but i wanna ask the artists "Would you seriously wanna wear those crappy scraps of metal and fight in battle? " Just because you have damn new ideas doesn't mean your ideas are awesome. I'd rather have much less diverse cool looking armor designs than diverse pieces of craps designed by dimwits. Edited May 4, 2012 by Sireene
use of retarded - PM'd

Blaine Christine,

 

I'm not really sure if you are the go to person for this. However I have a request. If i'm correct, then Amy Beth Christenson is responsible or partly responsible for the concept art including the costumes designs used in the game The Force Unleashed 2. Since you are the connection from Bioware to Lucasarts/Lucasfilm. Maybe you could get her involved with some Star Wars designs for gear in TOR. I would much rather have clothing/armor inspired by another Star Wars game, than a game that does not fit the Star Wars icon. If you know who it was that designed those costumes then hire that person for this game. After seeing the designs from patch 1.2 I don't feel confident in the current team's ability to deliver. I'm sorry, but that's how I feel.

 

The post I previously made was closed so here it is.

Yes 50s armor is horrid and many of the lower level armors (modable or not. this is why we wanted to RE stuff we find into orange shells BW, not just a few but many!) "fit" Star Wars far better than anything that is endgame. I saw one helm on my alt and thought, "What on earth is that stupid fin thingy doing on Sith Warriors head?".

 

Some things I'd like to see. More pants maybe include some shorts too ala Lara Croft. It would kinda fit with smugglers (at least my smuggler). Female Twi'leks typically wore tighter, more revealing clothing to maintain their elegant figures and enhance their value to males. So something kinda sexy would be fitting assuming there are female Twi'leks wearing them. I know my Sorc looks kinda odd in all those heavy robes. Get those girls some pants!

 

More slinky stuff. If I'm gonna wear a dress, I want something with some slink. You don't have to dress like a prostitute to be sexy, but to only wear stuff that would make monks say "ugh that looks drab!" is going past safe and headed toward Puritanism! And on a similar vein, why add the buttflap to the Imperial Dancer's outfit? It looks out of place and it clashes with the outfits style. The buttflap belongs on the slave outfit as that is iconic Star Wars, but really it just looks silly on the imp dancer's outfit.

 

Can my Jedis and Juggs get some heavy armor that looks like heavy armor (Jedi/Sith style of course) kind of like the guy on the load screens I see far too much of? Bits and pieces of heavy armor but with plenty of cloth (or whatever the flexible stuffs may be) at the joints for maneuverability. Robes are ok, but since lightsabers are weak as a regular sword in the game (slight exageration I know but we've seen them penetrate BLAST DOORS FFS in the movies) might as well trade some movement for some anti-slash/anti-blaster defenses.

 

Why must my smuggler be deprived of the cool trenchcoat look the agents can have? Han wore a trench look on Endor and that "Imma Space cowboy!" thing just doesn't work for me. I maybe might like to not advertise the fact I'm packing two blasters to every cop/security guy that I see (And where on earth are scoundrels hiding those shotguns?!), you know on account that I'm a SMUGGLER WITH A PRICE ON MY HEAD!!!!!!! And how better to hide the fact you're armed to the teeth than a long coat?

 

And one last thing. If I ever manage to get a Twi'lek to 50 on a server I have room, I want to make a Darth Talon lookalike.

 

Darth Talon

 

And to think she'd be wearing so much bulky junk is beyond appaling! Put some sexy stuffs for fem Sith Warriors in there guys!