Overview of Ongoing Enhancements
- Star Wars: The Old Republic remains the longest-running active game in the Star Wars franchise, continually benefiting from graphical enhancements.
- Executive Producer Keith Kanneg emphasized the importance of upgrading graphics to ensure regular and engaging updates.
- Recent modernization efforts have concentrated on refining visual aspects across various planets and improving character textures.
The developers of the renowned MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic recently shared insights into the ongoing graphical upgrades aimed at revitalizing the game. These modernization efforts have been a work in progress for some time, allowing for gradual enhancements in the oldest areas of the game.
Celebrating its fourteenth year, Star Wars: The Old Republic stands as the longest active Star Wars title currently available. Its rich single-player narrative offers gameplay that rivals several traditional offline games. Moreover, the game enjoys a steady, devoted player community that has remained loyal throughout its extensive journey.
Given the game’s age, it is essential to highlight the development team’s strategies for maintaining its appeal and functionality for years to come. In a recent address to the Star Wars: The Old Republic community, Executive Producer Keith Kanneg elaborated on the ongoing graphic modernization campaign, addressing why these updates are vital.
The Impetus Behind Graphical Upgrades in Star Wars: The Old Republic
In his correspondence, Kanneg commended the development team for their “incredible job”in executing recent graphical updates. Significant improvements have been made to the visuals of various planets, including the notable Hutt homeworld Hutta and classic locations like Tython, Korriban, and Hoth—site of the legendary Star Wars ground battle.
Kanneg articulated that these modernization initiatives are crucial for the ongoing need to “replace, extend, and refine”the technology underpinning regular game updates. Furthermore, he discussed how the team plans to enhance not only the environments but also the character models. Update 7.6, for instance, introduced advancements in character facial textures, optimizing their appearance under different in-game lighting conditions and during cutscenes.
In addition to graphical enhancements, Kanneg touched upon other recent developments highlighted in his letter, such as the introduction of new cosmetic items available to players. Game Update 7.6 introduced a variety of cosmetic weapons and outfits inspired by the latest Star Wars television series, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Players can find these items featured in the in-game Cartel Market, showcasing designs based on characters like Jod Na Nawood. Furthermore, subscribers to The Old Republic received a complimentary mount modeled after the speeder bike used by the characters Fern and KB in the series.
Although the game’s popularity may have dwindled since its launch and despite the development oversight shifting from BioWare to Broadsword Online Games, Star Wars: The Old Republic continues to thrive. Not even its removal from “canonical”status following Disney’s acquisition has deterred it from integrating the latest elements of the Star Wars universe into its expansive world.
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