Map of the Problematique

Alright, it's rant time.  Today's rant of choice is brought to you in part by Bioware and LucasArts.

So they're coming up with Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO, and that's a fine thing.  Afterall, Bioware was the genius company that created Knights of the Old Republic.  But the thing is that SW:tOR is an MMO.  Massively Multiplayer Online, with a strong emphasis on Multi and Player, as in more than a score.  So, when I hear that they're creating the game with the intended party size of 2 (maybe 4) people, I have to stand back.  Say wha?  2 people for an instance?  Just so they can put in their overly-complex chat trees (which are cool, don't get me wrong, I've played MassEffect, Dragon Age: Origins, and KotOR)?  Really?  Why didn't they just concentrate on an MMO of a scope like, say, World of Warcraft?  I mean, obviously, with 15 million people playing, Blizzard had to do something right with their formula.  

I'm not saying they should copy Wow, because clones can't ever compete against an original, but still, maybe Bioware should be looking at something a little more epic than 2 people for their intended group size.  Just saying...

Beyond that, another thing, why-oh-why did they have to choose to go with the ridiculous Clone Wars art style?  It's horrendous.  Always has been.  It's Plastic Mannequin Wars.  It's too simplified, and in the SW:tOR, it just looks ugly.  I keep seeing their screenshots, and I can't keep from thinking, 'Are these place-holder models?' they just look that unfinished.  Here, judge for yourself: Screens.

But you say: 'That's pretty unfair...you don't even make games so how can you rate these guys so harshly.  It's Bioware even!'

I say: 'Well you have a point.  Since I don't have any experience creating, only playing, video games, I can only compare their work to their Peers.  So, let's take a look at another MMO coming out in 2010 for comparison.  Let's look at Final Fantasy XIV.  Now if you go to Media / Screenshots, hidden between the rendered CGI art are some actual gameplay screens, and they blow away ToR in every way from model-geometry to texture work.  And you know?  I really am not digging ToR's laser-pointed pickle jars...

Sith: Fear me Jedi!  You're time is at an end!  *brandishes double-bladed saber*
Jedi: What the hell is that?
Sith: My saber, you dimwit!  Prepare to die!
Jedi: Really?  Looks like two pickle jars taped end-to-end.
Sith: It, what?  Really?  You think so?
Jedi: Absolutely.  I'm trying, but I just can't even feel any sort of fear from it.  I mean, dude, the most I'm fearing right now, is pickle breath.  Do you have fat fingers, or something?  Couldn't you maybe have, I dunno, made something a little slimmer and more wicked looking?
Sith: Hey!  That's, well, my original art designs were badass, something was just lost in translation!
Jedi: Whatever...want a breath mint?

Not cool.

I'm planning to keep my final judgments until I actually play the game, but right now?  We're at Warning Level: Yellow.  Keeping my fingers crossed.