Overall impressions from "The Old Republic" beta weekend - Adopt, Adapt and Improve

I've already dipped into my experiences with the beta weekend for Star Wars: The Old Republic, firstly by touching on the space combat missions and secondly by describing how I enjoyed my time with the Bounty Hunter class.
Today I'm going to give my overall thoughts on how I found the game and tell you if my expectations are still the size of an Imperial Star Destroyer or if they've been slaughtered like Sand People by an angry Jedi.

First up let me give you a bit of background on how much time I had with the beta and what I used my time on. I got in a good 25 hours or so, and in that time I leveled a Bounty Hunter to level 17 and a Sith Inquisitor and Warrior both up to level 10. I also dabbled very briefly with a Jedi Knight, but only got up to level 4 before the lure of the Sith Empire overwhelmed me.
My travels took me through Nal Hutta and Korriban, and I also finished up Dromund Kaas with my Bounty Hunter and just got my feet wet on Balmorra. I also played through the "Black Talon" flashpoint, so I got a taste of the "dungeons".

The first stop in my SWTOR experience was the character creator. Compared to what World of Warcraft offers there is an incredible wealth of choice on offer. I do however have two significant gripes with character creation.
Firstly I am disappointed by the race selection that BioWare has decided on. You really only have human and "variations of humans with slightly different coloration". I do appreciate the inclusion of the Chiss, which I have always thought were a very cool race ever since I saw Grand Admiral Thrawn in "Tie Fighter", but Cyborgs are nothing but humans with a few bits of metal stuck to their face and Miraluka are just humans with a veil over their eyes... Really BioWare?!

Miralukans. They're like humans... BUT! No eyes! Mind = Blown!

There are so many other interesting races that they could have chosen. The old Star Wars MMO "Star Wars Galaxies" offered a much wider choice including Wookies, Trandoshans and Rodians. I don't know if BioWare simply thought that people did not want to play anything that looks more alien than a red human with some small horns on his head, but I am really disappointed that we're getting treated to these "Star Trek" aliens.
I also found that the "body type" selection is too extreme with the available options. You go from skinny short guy to super Schwarzenegger and then to big fatty Mcfat with no steps in between. The end result is that pretty much 90% of the male characters that I saw in the game were all using the pumped bodybuilder body type, which is a big shame. There needs to be a more "normal" body type available that is neither skinny nor steroid filled.

On to the game itself then. Every class starts the game with the classic "Star Wars crawl" that sets the scene for your situation and finishes off with a cutscene that shows your character arriving on the relevant starting planet. It's a great way to set the mood and feels appropriately Star Wars.
You'll immediately be thrown into a conversation with a story NPC and be introduced to the voiced conversations and the dialogue wheel. Pretty much throughout my beta testing time I found the quality of the voice work to be really good and the conversations were interesting to follow. I did encounter several instances though, where I would be talking to an alien character speaking in their native tongue and their spoken lines would take only a second or two even though the lines they were speaking were two or three complete sentences, which was a bit jarring.

Sith Inquisitor Character Progression Video

A new video is now up from BioWare which shows off the character progression of the Sith Inquisitor, which is going to be my class of choice when the early access starts for The Old Republic next week (at least if I don't change my mind at the last second and is lured over to the Bounty Hunter, which I loved playing during the beta weekend).

If I do go for the Inquisitor like I plan, then I will head down the road of the sorcerer, which focuses on all the lightning based ways of causing terminal discomfort in your enemies.



 Subscribe in a reader

The Ultimate Sci-Fi Blu-Ray Movie Christmas Gift Top 10

It's December and you've already missed one week of Christmas shopping to playing Skyrim (or is that just me?). Next week you'll be Force gripped by the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic so maybe you should take a moment to get some gift shopping done?

I've put together a list of sci-fi movies that should make great Christmas presents for anyone with just a little appreciation for science fiction. They are great for presents for any fellow geeky family members, or perhaps as a little self indulging gift from you to you, with regards from Cyber Santa.
You can also pass along the list to gift givers and possibly avoid another pair of hand knitted socks (not that those aren't great!).

10: Star Wars: Blu Ray Box Set

I know I have bitched about what George Lucas has done to the old Star Wars movies. I completely stand by my criticisms, but despite Lucas' best efforts to mutilate my childhood memories to a degree that would make even Jack the Ripper uncomfortable, the fact of the matter is that Star Wars remain some of the best sci-fi movies ever made.
And even though this Blu-Ray box served as another opportunity for Lucas to mess with perfection it's still pretty great to see the old trilogy all polished up like R2-D2 at a medal awarding ceremony. Damn you Lucas! Just wipe that smug look off your face and take my money already!



9. Inception

I was very positively surprised by Inception, when I first saw it. It's the kind of movie that works really well the first time around, but if you start spending too much time thinking about the plot it starts to come apart at the seams a little. In that respect it reminds me a lot of another DiCaprio movie Shutter Island, which I can also recommend by the way.
But try not to think too hard about the logic of bringing people into the dreams of other people, or the silliness of going into a "dream within a dream" and Inception is a very entertaining movie, which also has some slick visual tricks up its sleeve.

Alphas: A Better Version of Heroes

I'm very happy to bring you another guest post here on Light Speed Gaming. This one comes in from James Ged, who is going to share his fondness for the TV show "Alphas" with us and explain, why he thinks it is actually in many ways the TV show that "Heroes" should have been.

Alphas (SyFy) is what Heroes should have been. Everyone agrees that Heroes had a great first season, but it quickly went to crap after that. Alphas, on the other hand is stronger both narratively and structurally. Although these shows share the same basic idea—there are people among us who have extraordinary abilities and powers—they are very different in the way they approach plot and style, and Alphas pulls it off where Heroes failed.

Structure and Narrative

Part of the weakness of Heroes was that it didn’t set itself up with a particular structure from the beginning. That is, it set itself up as a free-for-all drama with no real structure or regular plot elements, so when the show had to grow and become something else in its second season, it had nothing to fall back on, and thus fell apart.

Alphas, on the other hand, has established itself as a procedural-type show with a plot structure based on a team of “Alphas” (or people with enhanced physical and mental abilities) who investigate crimes and track down other Alphas who may be a danger to themselves or others. Although the show broke with the procedural structure throughout the first series, the writers regularly returned to it, giving a continuity and framework to the show that allowed for good character development strengthened the overarching storyline.

You'll get to spank your Jawa a little earlier than anticipated - Old Republic early access starts on December 13

It seems BioWare has become overwhelmed by the spirit of the season and decided to give everyone eagerly anticipating getting their lightsaber on a little bit of an early Christmas gift.
The early access for Star Wars: The Old republic, which is available to anyone that has preordered the game, has been moved forwards from December 15 to December 13. So we now have two days less to get our affairs settled, before our free time is swallowed up like a hot Twi'lek dancer by a hungry Rancor.

Just look how happy Darth Malgus is at this news!

Of course the same rules that BioWare have already laid out for early access still applies. This means that BioWare is letting in early access people in waves, which are supposed to be based on when you placed your preorder. So people that preorder the game early will be let in first and then more and more players will gradually be let loose on the servers until everyone is playing.

The next Horus Heresy book, "Deliverance Lost" is up for preorder

I was just browsing around over at The Black Library and I noticed that the next book in the Horus Heresy is now available for preorder.

"Deliverance Lost" is the title and it seems like this book will move the main story of the Horus Heresy meaningfully forward. The book will tell the tale of Corax, Primarch of the Raven Guard, as he returns to Terra after escaping the massacre on Isstvan V. But among the returning Raven Guards is a member of the Alpha Legion, who has infiltrated the broken legion and is hoping to learn the secrets of the defense of Terra. Secrets that Horus the Warmaster could use to devastating effect in his imminent full out attack on the capital of the Imperium.

He's got a giant skull strapped across his crotch, so you know he means business

The last Horus Heresy book, "The Outcast Dead", which I have previously reviewed here on the site, was a very enjoyable book, so I hope that Deliverance Lost will continue on the high note set by this previous entry in the series.
I'm also really excited about finally seeing the main story move forward instead of more books detailing various events that all took place at the beginning of Horus' treachery.

There's also a small excerpt from the book available for your immediate consumption, which I think looks fairly promising. The release date is currently stated as being January 2012, so look forward to this heretical piece of 41st millennium goodness quite soon.



 Subscribe in a reader

Light Speed Gaming Sci-Fi Game of the Year 2011 - Top 5 - 3

Last week saw us through the top 10-6 sci-fi games of 2011, from the disappointment of Red Faction: Armageddon, to the beauty of Crysis 2.

Now it's time to continue on down the list and take a look at the games that made it into the top 5-3 places. These are some of my favorite video games of 2011 and if you are an avid gamer then every one of them is worth checking out.

5: Warhammer 40k: Space Marine
I'm sure many people will shrug their shoulders at Space Marine and dismiss it as nothing but a passable Gears of War clone.
I can certainly agree that Space Marine did not revolutionize 3rd person shooters in any way, but that does not mean that it is not a ton of fun.

Granted my love of all things Warhammer 40k may be influencing my judgement, however I truly think that the visceral combat that this game offered us is an experience that you can't find in very many other games of 2011. As I wrote in my review of Warhammer 40k: Space Marine it feels great to blast Orks to pieces with your hefty bolter from afar, only to then charge straight at the filthy greenskins and carve them to pieces with your whirring chainsword.

Even with my weakness for power armored Space Marines I can't overlook some of the issues with this game, though. Even though the combat felt pretty satisfying, the monotony of the gameplay did start to drag towards the end of the game.
I'd also really have appreciated less corridor shooting sequences and have had some more big battles to fight in, which would really have given us the chance to immerse ourselves into the role of a Space Marine in the middle of a large war.
Oh well, maybe something for the sequel I guess?

Just look at that screenshot and tell me that doesn't look fun!

Skyrim Review - Here be dragons. And a crap ton of other stuff!

The cart rolls into the Imperial camp. I look at my fellow prisoners and take solace in the fact that at least I’ll be dying alongside someone famous, the rebel leader Ulfric Stormcloak. Hey, if you gotta die then at least you can go out alongside a big shot and not just pickpocket Johnny Noname.

The first prisoner is brought forward and, with the sickening sound of meat and bone being cleaved, his head is parted from his body. I’m glad I had a light lunch.

As I stand around wondering how a Breton magician apprentice from High Rock ended up in such a fine mess I am distracted by a passing shadow and the sound of giant flapping wings.

I look up and see something that I know is impossible, but yet there it is. A dragon!

Oh, I don't think these carts are going to Disneyland...

During the chaos of the dragon attack I escaped my captors. Though all sanity in my body screams for me to get out of Skyrim as fast as possible, I feel compelled to delve further into the mystery of the returning dragons. The splendid city of Whiterun is my first port of call and I soon find myself talking to the Jarl of the city himself.

By an incredible coincidence I am around at the exact moment that reports come in of a new dragon attack. Bolstered by some unknown source of courage, I volunteer to help repel the dragon and join a small force of guards, heading out to kill a dragon (I wish I was back at the warm inn studying my arcane books, what madness is this?).

We manage to kill the dragon. Well “we” mostly being the guards. My contribution was mostly approaching the dragon as it was distracted by the guards, briefly draining all my magic resources for a magical flame attack and then running behind the nearest rock to hide.

As the dragon lay dead on the ground something incredible happened. White light erupted from the dragon and shot straight at me. Panic filled my very being, but I quickly realized that I was somehow being… empowered by this light. I have no idea what happened but some of the guards claimed that it showed that I was something they called “Dragonborn”. I don’t know what to make of all this…

Skyrim is a game that you don’t play as much as you *live*.

When Skyrim is at its best it feels like you are walking through Lord of the Rings helping citizens in need, slaying mighty beasts, crafting mighty armor or going on epic quests and saving the world.

The "fairness" of comparing "The Old Republic" to "World of Warcraft"

I've been doing my little MMOCrunch writing again and I've spat out an opinionated article on the crazy crap that gamers sometimes use as arguments to protect their favorite new or upcoming MMO games from criticism.

You see, I am sick and tired of hearing gamers cry foul when people compare a new MMO to an old and long running one. Lately I've been seeing a lot of people getting angry at people that point out some issues that they have found in Star Wars: The Old Republic and which World of Warcraft has managed to solve.

This is what a gaming forum looks like after a flame fest between SWTOR and WoW fanboys...

The people that are upset with these kinds of legitimate observations claim that it is "unfair" to compare SWTOR to WoW, since WoW has been around for 7 years and thus has had a lot more time to have had issues fixed and features add.

Head over to my article on MMOCrunch to find out why I think that is a weird argument to make and why I think that it is ultimately completely missing the point.



 Subscribe in a reader

Update on Readers Choice Sci-Fi Game of the Year 2011 - Help your favorite game win!

I have already kicked off the Light Speed Gaming Sci-Fi Game of the Year 2011 by revealing the top 10-6 sci-fi games of this year. But besides my personal rants about what games I think were the top of the heap there is also the matter of the "Readers Choice" of best sci-fi video game of the year.

Right now we've got Deus Ex: Human Revolution out in front, with just a single vote lead.
Snapping at it's cybernetic heels we find Portal 2 and, rather surprisingly to me, Dawn of War 2: Retribution.

Adam Jensen is doing some nasty takedowns on the competing sci-fi games of 2011 so far

While I certainly agree that the standalone expansion pack for Dawn of War 2 was a great addition to the Warhammer 40k RTS, I was not expecting it to stand much of a chance against competition like Gears of War 3, Crysis 2 or Dead Space 2, but it's always nice to be surprised!

Crysis 2 has also managed to score itself a few points and Dead Space 2 and Rage are both the proud owners of a single vote from our readership.

Sitting around sulking in the back we find Red Faction: Armageddon, Gears of War 3, Bulletstorm and Warhammer 40k: Space Marine, who have all so far gotten the grand total of 0 votes.

There are still 7 days left on the poll, so hurry up and add your opinion to the poll (You'll find it in the top right corner of the site, just underneath "This is Light Speed Gaming" and "More info on Light Speed Gaming").



 Subscribe in a reader

Coming up on the week of December 5 on Light Speed Gaming

Another week has buzzed by at light speed and it's time to sum up the highlights and look forward to next weeks basket of delicious gaming and science fiction nuggets.

We started off the week with impressions of the much talked about space missions from Star Wars: The Old Republic. Missions that I had the dubious pleasure of experiencing in last weekend's beta test.

I also kicked off the Light Speed Gaming Sci-Fi Game of the Year 2011 awards, with the first post covering the top 10-6 places on the list.

Closing out the week was another deep dive into my SWTOR beta experiences as I tickled my memory organs and dug up my memories of my time spent playing the Bounty Hunter class.

Finally there was also time for another entry in the Sci-Fi Do Want series, this time I threw my love on the unsung workhorse of the Dune universe, the Spacing Guild Highliners.

Notice the season appropriate red and green lightsabers!

As we look into next week I'm sure you'll need some entertainment to distract you from the fact that Christmas is already less than three weeks away (Yes, surprised the hell of me as well..). Luckily I will be standing by to throw out some digital lifesavers to quell the worst of your anxiety attacks.