Incoming...

Gotta love it! I cannot express how pumped up I am for this game, and although the cinematic trailers that we've seen already are amazing, it's nice to see something that focuses a little more on what gameplay might actually look like. Yet still, the greatest worry I have is deciding what character class to take on! For those of you who don't know, I will briefly outline the classes available to you in this new MMORPG coming from Bioware; the minds behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Knights of the Old Republic.

The Republic/The Light Side

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Trooper - Probably going to be the choice for people who want to play as the tank in The Old Republic; Troopers have heavy armour and pack a heavy punch. While the Jedi are all calm and righteous, it'd be nice to play as a gruff soldier who is fighting for honour and all that jazz.

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Smuggler - For those that can't get enough of those Han Solo and Malcolm Reynolds characters, if you prefer flashy moves and sarcasm, the Smuggler is probably the way to go. Light armour, light weaponry, but more than a few tricks up their sleeves, that's to be certain, and I'm fairly sure your main companion will be a Wookie...what more could you ask for?

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Jedi Knight - Duh, it's a Jedi Knight - why wouldn't you want to be a Jedi? Lightsabers, force pushing and pulling all over the place - the Jedi Knight will probably be a basic character for everyone; a class that can run into the midst of battle and expect to come out the other side unscathed. The specialisation that leads to being able to wield two lightsabers at once is sure to be popular

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Jedi Consular - Probably for the more tactical players, the Consular is sure to boast status boosting skills for their party, and detrimental area of effect attacks for any enemies that cross your path. Mastery of the Force will surely come in handy when being faced down by an army of Sith, and you can bet that whoever you play with will be happy for some powerful healing and power-boosting 'magic' when things get heated.

The Dark Side

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Bounty Hunter - Where's the fun in being good all the time? Kicking ass isn't nearly as fun unless it's coupled with not taking orders from anybody. The Bounty Hunter may work for the dark side for a price, but you can bet that they'll have their own rules. Not to mention they'll be armed to the teeth with flamethrowers, poison darts, the works.

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Sith Warrior - You don't know the power of the dark side. The Jedi may be cool and calm, but when you see the hulking mass of a Sith Warrior bearing down on you, you'll know which side you'd prefer to be on. Kitted out with heavy armours and the like, the Sith Warrior is likely to be the tank for the Dark Side, and a tank that nobody will want to get too close to.

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Imperial Agent - I don't quite know what to make of this character class; I figure people are more likely to choose one of the Sith or Bounty Hunter types instead. But it looks like the Agent will have something a bit more subtle than the jetpack wearing Bounty Hunter or lightsaber wielding Sith Warrior. I'm thinking sniper rifles, stealth, and a whole load of other tactics that will have the player chuckling with glee, and the opponent crushing his keyboard in frustration.

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Sith Inquisitor - If you prefer the whole 'I'm going to kill you with lightning' thing that the Sith have going on, then the Inquisitor is the way to go. It looks like you get some hulk of a beast to help you out from the beginning, so while you're torturing hapless Republic Troopers you can be confident that they won't get too close to you if your companion has anything to say about it.


The best part is, you don't have to pay attention to any of what I just said. The game is going to fit around how you want your character to act. Who says your Jedi has to stick to the rules all the time? Maybe your Sith Warrior doesn't feel like killing that third person today? Bounty Hunters have time for love too, right? Knowing this is going to make the decision even harder for you, and I haven't even detailed the ships, the specialisations, the companions, and so on that differ for each character class. Ever wish that games were back in simpler times where you had to be one type of character and that was it? No? Me neither.


Check out the official site for all the details right here