Showing once again that the Star Wars: The Old Republic team has a firm grasp on what makes the Star Wars universe fun, BioWare introduces Companion Characters, sidekicks who travel with you on your adventures in the upcoming massively multiplayer role-playing game.
The Old Republic will supply your character with a variety of companions throughout his or her career. Droids, aliens, pirates, princesses – each class will have a unique set of companions tagging along, each with different reasons to stick by your side.
As you progress, so will your companions, gaining power and abilities. New tactics and strategies will become available as your bond strengthens.
Your companion character will act much like the non-player characters of BioWare’s single player RPG titles, providing commentary, doling out information, and influencing the decisions you make. In turn, the way you treat your companions will affect your relationship with them. Some will become close friends. Some will become enemies. Some will even become lovers.
In effect, BioWare is giving you NPC party members to take with you on your missions, much like they did in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and, more recently, Mass Effect. It’s a formula that’s served the developer well in single player games, but I’m a bit wary of its application in an MMO.
Just imagine the role-playing complications when your online girlfriend or boyfriend catches you getting busy with your computer-controlled lover. Talk about your emotional engagement.
Relationships aside, aren’t other players supposed to be your travelling companions in an MMO title?
Read more about Star Wars: The Old Republic’s Companion Characters at the game’s official website.
Companions Overview [Star Wars: The Old Republic]
Strand0410
Saturday, May 29, 2010 at 11:39 AMTypical BioWare
Travis New
Saturday, May 29, 2010 at 11:57 AMWell Guild Wars let you take along NPC’s though they didn’t have the relationship part. Still it works.
rpgplayer83
Saturday, May 29, 2010 at 1:01 PMMy experience in most MMOs is a solo experience anyway, so this sounds great to me.
The Cracks
Saturday, May 29, 2010 at 2:04 PMOld Republic just keeps looking better and better.
I love story-based games, but I also enjoy playing with my friends. Old Republic looks like it can cater to both those needs extremely well.
David
Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 6:09 PMI think your online girl/boyfriend catching you with an NPC lover is exactly the sort of awkward experience that would make it more realistic. You can argue that you were only doing it for the buffs and it didn’t mean anything but I’m sure they’ll point out you could have got those buffs from another non-romancable companion.
Ultimately I think romancing an NPC *is* cheating on your online partner. How that translates to the real world and the now tangled web we’ve weaved is great fun.
DISCLAIMER: I may or may not enjoy reading shoujo manga sometimes.
Warlok
Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 6:38 PMSounds great. As for other players, Not everyone has or will have 2-4 online friends who will party together and do missions. Adding NPC party members can fill that gap, Its better than having no NPCs in your party. Its not like they are just a Pet or somthing either, As Mike said they will comment and doll out info.
Hawk
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 10:36 AMI like in game romances. I am about to marry Kira my companion. What will come of it? Who knows. Regular player romance in this game? Is there such a thing? Stop downing things Bioware does. Why do you think they are so popular? Just roll with it or don’t. Don’t screw it up for me though ☺