The Vision for Ord Mantell
Flaming walkers, a destroyed bridge, refugees huddled on the outskirts of a large Republic base. These are some of the sights that let you know you’re on the war-ravaged world of Ord Mantell. But long before any of these elements were represented in-game, they were in the minds and design docs of the writers of Star Wars™: The Old Republic™.
Early in the design of Ord Mantell we wanted the story to be about a planet where the war between the Empire and the Republic kept raging in some form, even after the Treaty of Coruscant was signed. In our final design, however, a faction of separatists has risen to fight for independence against tired Republic and Mantellian government forces, in reaction to the corruption of the Mantellian government and the Republic’s perceived unwillingness to defend any world that isn’t Coruscant.
One of our earliest story designs for Ord Mantell even saw the Empire in control of the planet, fighting off Jedi-backed rebels—a very different Ord Mantell from the Republic-controlled world we ultimately decided to write.
As with any shift in design, there are a number of reasons why our conception of Ord Mantell changed. We had to consider the needs of the individual class stories and the needs of the game as a whole. Our designs for other worlds changed, making them a better fit for the “Imperials versus rebels” focus we had originally planned. Ord Mantell itself has a history of being a Republic world populated by rough underworld figures and settlers from Corellia, so in many ways Ord Mantell was better suited to being a Republic-held world under threat. The new version of Ord Mantell also provided a unique blend of Republic and underworld influence that was missing from worlds like Tython or Hutta, which skew strongly toward one or the other.
All of this decision-making happened before there was a single quest designed for the planet, or a single piece of art created.
Laying Out The Story
Once we’d settled on our vision for Ord Mantell, it was time to flesh out the world. We brainstormed people and places we’d like to see, stories we’d like to explore and choices we’d like to make on the planet. These brainstorm sessions happen with all our worlds, and they tend to be good indicators of whether the world’s backstory has enough meat to it. If the writers can’t get excited about writing it, then the Players certainly aren’t going to get excited about playing it.
Ord Mantell was rife with compelling ideas: a Republic military at the point of exhaustion, just ready to be done with the war; underhanded crime lords attempting to make a quick credit selling weapons and hoarding the all-too rare, all-too precious supplies; refugees driven from their homes and hoping desperately to catch one of the infrequent shuttles off the planet; local governments trying to stay in power and maintain some peace; corrupt officers, sleazy pirates, zealous separatists—the list goes on and on.
Of course, there were plenty of ideas that didn’t fly, usually because of tone. We did a lot of careful revising to ensure that we struck the right balance between light-hearted quirky characters and more serious, emotional pieces. Humor is an important part of Star Wars™; we want our game to have plenty of fun moments, but we had to avoid humor where it seemed out of place or just silly. Similarly, we had to make sure we weren’t becoming too dark with our chosen war theme. War in Star Wars generally bears more resemblance to the World War II of the Hollywood films of the 1940s than to the grittier, more disillusioned war films that came out of the Cold War. There are morally ambivalent characters in Star Wars, but the central conflict is between light and dark, and like Han Solo in A New Hope, people usually choose a side by the end. Star Wars is more Casablanca than Apocalypse Now.
Other ideas simply didn’t work because they were repetitions of ideas we’d already used. With so many writers pitching quest ideas, it’s inevitable that a few ideas would be repeats. On Ord Mantell, nearly every writer pitched at least one medicine or doctor-related quest. Many of them were very good ideas, but it’s important to show all aspects of the world we’re portraying.
Quests and Character Creation
Once we had the story ideas, it was important to turn them into fun and interesting quests that convey the backstory of Ord Mantell, give Players a chance to explore the world, and at the same time let them shape their epic story through the choices they make. In keeping with Star Wars, Ord Mantell is loaded with opportunities to be a perfect saint or a dastardly scoundrel, but just because Star Wars is about the struggle between dark and light doesn’t mean there’s no room for nuance, and Ord Mantell packs its share of challenging decisions.
In writing much of the world content for Ord Mantell, I found that as much as it is about war, Ord Mantell is about the “little guy.” Whether he’s the refugee, the low-ranking soldier faced with a tough moral dilemma, the hungry child, the war protester, the merchant who’s lost his business to the war or the doctor trying to decide between his duty to the people and his duty to the military, the little guy is at the heart of Ord Mantell. It’s a world where we get to explore a little bit of the impact of the war on ordinary people, who have little to no ideological investment in the philosophical struggle between Jedi and Sith, or the military struggle between Republic and Empire.
Bringing Ord Mantell to Life
Once the quests are designed and written, the writers’ job is done. Or not. What follows are countless playtests and rewrites, and the wondrous/terrifying experience of seeing the world come to life through the efforts of our world builders and artists. Frequently, they are able to take what we’ve come up with and make it even more amazing. Sometimes they give us the wide-eyed look of horror that means that the idea to send one of Ord Mantell’s moons hurtling into its surface1 probably isn’t going to work.
In the process of playing the game and critiquing the content, we find out what works and what doesn’t and determine whether the quest needs to be cut or simply rewritten. We also discover areas of the world that are underserved, significant landmarks that beg to have a story told about them and hidden places where a little bit of content serves as a reward for exploration.
Running through Ord Mantell today is a lot of fun, but we’re always getting more feedback and working to make the game better. Even having worked on the game for as long as we have, there are still moments that manage to awe us or take us by surprise, and I think that shows we’re on the right track.
Rebecca Harwick
Writer
1Not an actual quest suggestion
Tags:
ord mantell | rebecca harwick
COMMENTS
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I think that you should be able to choose to go micro and pay for stuff like extra characters seperatly or pay monthly and get everything unlimited, sorta like the new dungeons and dragons ebberon unlimited. I can also just nearly garentee this will crush WoW like a soda can and throw it in the recycling bin of empty MMO's. |
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Game is going to be wicked cant wait for it .......... |
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This wont beat out WoW. Don't get me wrong, this game looks better than WoW in every way shape and form. However, not all WoW players are Star Wars fans so before even looking into TOR they'll make their decision. |
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I've played WoW since the original beta in late 2002, this game has great potential to beat out WoW. Many of the flaws that repel WoW players from blizzard are nowhere to be found from what ive seen in SWtOR (thus far at least). Not to bash on WoW, but my WoW guild tag is now: Waiting for SWtOR ;]. |
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I've played WoW since the original beta in late 2002, this game has great potential to beat out WoW. Many of the flaws that repel WoW players from blizzard are nowhere to be found from what ive seen in SWtOR (thus far at least). Not to bash on WoW, but my WoW guild tag is now ;]. |
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but there are so many SW fans out there that don't play WoW, and I think They will Swing it and beat out WoW. |
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If it is a microtransactional then its like your just buying another console game when you beat the game. so pay micro to get more content on kotor |
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Go to the guild: Acadamy of the Sith |
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Sith now and forever!!! |
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I cant believe people are complaioning that this is going to be p2p. Of course it is! Why would Bioware and Lucasarts, which are both actually businesses out to make money, yes money, build the biggest game in history and then go bust because a few kids whine about paying a few pounds a month?? Seriousily if you believe games like this can be made for free you shouldnt even be here. |
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finaly! Someone who shows common sense! |
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oh by the way, on a lighter note, I really like the sounds of this planet and dont rush this game out, id rather wait another year than play KOTOR 2 again ;P |
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I cannot wait for this game to come out! Soon when the game comes out, I am guessing in 2010 because that is what PC Gamer said and GamePro, I will be on that planet questing and exploring and questing. PC Gamer's writer: Tim Edwards said that while he was playing the Demo at E3 he said: "As the trooper slides to the floor, clutching his chest, a horrifying truth becomes apparent: The Old Republic is a credible WorldofWarcraftKiller. Thanks Bioware for blessing us with this game! |
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Wow... no offense but can you say "upsessed" not that Im not anticipating it but.... wow... |
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of course this is a friggin pay to play. have you not seen how massive this is? the only reason why runescape is free but only with member perks is because it takes about friggin 5 guys to animate that stuff, and like three guys to write a story. we are talking about possibly the hugest MMO ever released. i feel your pain, but it is going to be a play to pay whether you like it or not, and i am a realistic person. its going to be, too bad, but it only makes sense. |
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listen, i like video games as much as anyone, and i loved kotor, and am very excited about everything ive seen about this game, hell i check this website almost daily to see if there are new videos or news updates released but as great as it looks i cant afford to pay $240 a year to play a video game. im a college student who can barely pay my car insurance every month, but at the same time i do understand what you guys are saying about pay to play bringing a greater level of support to the game. i could see 5 or 10 dollars a month maybe but no more than that... |
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What do you think makes MMORPG so good? that pay to play allows them to keep making the game better and better and allows for a better level of support. I personal like that it is pay to play. This game will be pay to play and so far it's looking like it will be a great game. Heck they could charge $20 a month and with what i see right now i would pay it! |
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Honestly i have grown really tired of having to pay 15 dollars a month for mmos. I play WoW and that is 15 dollars a month and i was hoping that this would just be a microtransaction system where you don't have to pay to keep up with everyone but u can pay for specific things as you want(This does not include gear) because if it did you would have all those rich ***** running around with the best gear and starships just cause they leech off their parents. Thats why i hope that someday there will be an MMORPG on Xbox so i dont have to pay monthly on top of the xbox live like FF online was. |
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of course this is a friggin pay to play. have you not seen how massive this is? the only reason why runescape is free but only with member perks is because it takes about friggin 5 guys to animate that stuff, and like three guys to write a story. we are talking about possibly the hugest MMO ever released. i feel your pain, but it is going to be a play to pay whether you like it or not, and i am a realistic person. its going to be, too bad, but it only makes sense. |
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If you are looking for a good darkside guild then please take a look at : www.untamed.co.nr |
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wow you screwed up lucasarts and bioware you wrecked the whole game for me |
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Are yo calling Lucasarts and bioware screwed up? |
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I may sound foolish for asking this but does anybody have a clue to some kind of estimate for when this is coming out? truly, |
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Has there ever been a Hutt Jedi/Sith :P |
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Beldorian the Hutt was a Jedi. |
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on the topic of world design, i would like to ask the development team something. How much can the players do as far as customization? When i get a ship can i put bigger guns and engines in it? Can i pick i nice spot on a planet and build a base? Can i purchase different pieces of armor and mix and match what i want? Can i change the color of that armor/base/ship? It would really be alot for you guys to do all that but the game would be so much better! Imagine you're just starting off and you buy some supplies and you build yourself a house, then you go and do some quests and you come back and you build a hangar for the ship you just bought. As you make more money you keep investing into the base. You buy defense systems and security like droids and turrets, cameras and blast doors. You buy more furniture and expand the walls and add buildings to your compound. One for your droids, one for each of your npc caompanions. People could group together and create small colonies, working together to build defendable positions to protect what they own. It would add an aspect of mmo's that has never been fully realized. wow touched in their battle grounds but i want it all the time whenever someone wants to attack they will. you always talk in your videos about "adding a fourth pillar" but im talking about a fifth here. Fully realized customization! moving on to ships, you could do all the same things with those, engines and guns and shields, work stations, barracks, cells for captives, medical centers, gallies. And we are gonna tha npc's to go with it. when people have huge ships and compounds like this they will need help. Pilots, gunners, guards, doctors, chefs, navigators. And Npc's need to be as customizable as the players, armor, skills, weapons, everything, including color of things. When you pick specific pieces of armor and mix and match to so, the colors will be all messed up, give it alittle dye and its like a uniform, different sets for you troopers, pilots, staff, even jedi/sith. |
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Talk about a fith Pillar when the game actually comes out. to make this game right i wouldn't focus on that. If you put that into the game were talking about a lot of work. Get the design team to finish the game THEN work on this stuff and put in in a massive patch either later that year or the next. Get the game done and do it right. then focus on the extras like houses, custamizable ships, etc. The armor thing is a good idea though. I'd love my Jedi to wear Black robes and use red lightsabers. Just like my KOTOR1 and 2 Jedi =) |
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All of the things that you mentioned would be really cool to have, but, they still need to just get the game out of the door first. If they don't, then they will make no revenue to pay the designers/programmers/writers/whoever else. If anything, all of the things you mentioned could be part of a future update or even an expansion pack. It wouldn't bother me either way. The one thing that I would like to see though, is some sort of color customization, so that I don't have to walk around with a bunch of randomly colored stuff, unless I want to of course, hehehe... It could be something like having to find a tailor (NPC) to change the colors, or simply getting some dye for it yourself. It doesn't even have to be the entire piece of clothing, just the main part. Also, I can't wait for this to finally be released. If you guys need a beta tester, look no further! |
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I must agree, adding a fifth pillar would be insanely wack! however if you look at the game already, it already has an incomprehensible amount of data compacted into one disc. If they did take your proposition into consideration, it would only send them back to the drawing board resulting in an extended amount of time before the game comes out. So if there happens to be a delay, we're all pointing our fingers at you lol |
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i hope to god (thats is any god that can make my wish come true) that this will not be a pay to play and more like runescapes "members perks" where you can play free but have to pay to get the really nice stuff. |
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how much do WoW members have to pay per. month? |
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hehe i really want this to come out already. is this going to be a pc only game? ive heard a lot of ppl talk about xbox live so im confused. |
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def a pay to play |
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PC only, it says that in the FAQs... |
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A game like this can't afford to not be Pay To Play. Any MMO Veteran would know that a decent MMO is worth every penny. |
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NOOOOOO IS IT REALLY GONNA BE PAY TO PLAY??? NOOOOOO PLZ BE FREE!!!!!!!!! D: |
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I think that it is worth paying the monthly charge so that the developers can spend that money back into updates for the games. that is why WoW comes out with so many patches and updates. do you really think that they could pay all those people working on that without the monthly charge? |
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I've never played an MMO before, is it a monthly charge? |
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yeah this game will be pay to play. paying 10 - 15 dollars isn't bad tho i know i spend more then that in a night to the movies or buying a bottle of alcohol |
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This game looks awesome, cant wait for more info on it and then the release! On the topic of WoW i don't think this game will 'kill' it however it will certainly prove the best competition to it so far, I've played WoW and it's a pretty cool game, but personally i think this game will be a lot better mainly for the better detail to pretty much everything and the individuality you get to experience, and plus i am just a general star wars nerd!! Awesome :) |
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first off, WxAmAdEuS, you can just get the gold membership for Xbox LIVE, gives you 12 months of play for $50. pretty good deal and second, can't wait for the game to come out! this is gonna be epic! |
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1st) Is SW:ToR going to be a free game, or will it be like SWG? 2nd) Imagine if BioWare and LucasArts decide to not only put it on the PC, MAC, whatever... But on console's that do live. :D That would be pretty awesome. But they would have to get a bigger team to conduct something like that, and need to finish what they started to begin a same/new project. [Revised.] |
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yea a pay-to-play as Vertex said, but it is not a "daily" payment. it will most likly be $10 to $20 per month. And it has been confirmed as only for PC, no consoles. here is a link where info from reviews has been gathered and summarized: |
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Don't forget that FFXI was also both console and PC. Not only that but it was on multiple consoles. It had a decent level of success for people that are into final fantasy. I didn't like the game much though. This is a SW game though so I don't see hard-core fantasy types leaving WoW for SW. I hate WoW myself and am a pretty good sized SW nerd. |
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No, it will be pay-to-play, get some money. |
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They tried that with phantasy star universe.. it didn't work out so well |
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This game looks amazing. How is the leveling system going to work? will everyone planet have a level range, so quests in a certain area are for a certain set of levels? Will there be entirely Republic or Empire planets with only quests for one side? WoW is going out the window! really cant wait! |
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I think it is awsome!!!I caint wait for the video game to come out!!I'v already stared saveing up for the game |
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The writers are doing a good job. I love to explore worlds like this. They teeter on the brink of supporting either side. They are the meshing zone where two ideologies collide. Fascinating. :) |
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There is no Dark Side, nor a Light Side |
