Recently we had a chat with Gabe Amatangelo, Lead Flashpoint, Operation, and PvP Designer for Star Wars: The Old Republic, about the upcoming 1.1 patch, which is due out next week. During the conversation we talked about the different between the Flashpoints - namely, that some were very story-based, while others were typical MMO instances. As fans of the more narrative-driven Flashpoints we asked about the future of the missions, wondering if BioWare was planning on focusing on one type over the other. Amatangelo's answer made us very, very excited to try out the new content.
Above: Kaon Under Siege takes place in an underground, power-less city
“Do you think, moving forward, you’ll be focusing on the story-based flashpoints more than the traditional MMO-style instances?” we asked Amatangelo.
“Well, there’s definitely people who are vocal about that. The reality is a little tougher to decipher," he told us. "We’re taking a look at metrics, but we’re inclined to do more of the story ones."
He went on to explain that there were plenty of gamers who prefer the old-school feel of the non-story-based missions, citing Colicoid War Games, which is a very prototypical dungeon crawl, as the type of Flashpoint that divides The Old Republic’s fans. “Some people absolutely love it, and they’re on fire about it, and there’s other people who were not, and liked the story ones. So we wanted to have a suite – to have various things available.”
“But the story ones are a majority of the Flashpoints and they are the new ones coming up as well,” Amatangelo explained. While we're sure BioWare will eventually come out with some typical dungeon delves in the future, hearing about its commitment to story is exciting, especially for those who prefer to further their characters' narrative instead of simply killing bad guys for loot.
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