Today Lucasfilm announced that it will be indefinitely postponing the release of Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Episode III - Revenge of the Sith in 3D in order to focus on Episode VII. They'll be announcing their plans for the 3D releases of these two films (and, presumably, the remainder of the saga) at a later date.
J.J. Abrams to Direct Episode VII
It's been rumoured for a while now, but today it was officially announced that J.J. Abrams will be directing Star Wars - Episode VII.
(Image courtesy of alluremedia.com.au)
So far, reactions have been mixed. I for one don't think that this is bad news. I'm a huge fan of both Lost and Fringe, so I'll be waiting with cautious optimism to see what he does with the film.
Bring on 2015!
Lego 8028 TIE Fighter Mini Building Set
Yesterday I picked up another Lego mini model for my collection - 8028 TIE Fighter - from Target for $4.64US ($5.55NZ).
Star Wars Live-Action TV Series Back in the Pipeline?
While it's far from official news yet, there have been some rumblings over the last few days that the indefinitely postponed live-action TV series Star Wars: Underworld (or something very much like it) may soon be back in the pipeline. These rumours have been fueled by ABC's announcement that it is currently evaluating the series now that Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm is complete.
As much as I love the Clone Wars animated series, we all know it can't last forever ("Order 66" anyone?) With this in mind, it'd be great to know that there is some new Star Wars television programming on its way - particularly if it happens to be aimed at a more adult audience.
The Old Republic: Deceived Paperback
I'm back in Houston now, and during my journey I picked up a little reading material - The Old Republic: Deceived for $7.99US ($9.56NZ).
The Birth of a Trooper - Finishing the Forearms
Today I spent some time doing the final trimming and sanding of the forearms. Here they are - my first two completed pieces of armour!
The Birth of a Trooper - Gluing the Right Forearm
The left forearm glued up perfectly, so I've moved on with the right forearm. Tomorrow I'll get to work on the final trimming and sanding of both forearms so that I'll finally have my first two pieces of armour completely finished! Look out for pictures of the finished product soon!
George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy On the New Star Wars Films - Part 5
Part 5 of George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy's discussion of the new Star Wars films has just been posted by StarWars.com:
Mimobot Boba Fett 4GB USB Flash Memory Drive
And Christmas keeps coming! I spent New Year's down in Wellington, and received this Mimobot Boba Fett 4GB USB Flash Memory Drive as a late Christmas present from one of my friends. He'll go great with the Stormtrooper I received last week!
The Birth of a Trooper - Gluing the Left Forearm
My E6000 glue turned up today, and after a few test runs on some scrap-pieces of ABS I went ahead and glued together my first piece of armour - the left forearm. I picked up a bag of clamps from Mitre 10 Mega, and used a couple of paint stirrers to ensure pressure was applied evenly all the way down the seam (a very useful tip I picked up off the White Armor Tutorials). I'll be checking it in the morning, and if everything turned out okay I'll be getting started in the rest.
Stormtrooper Crowd T-Shirt
Christmas is going on a little longer than expected, as today I received this incredibly cool late present from my mum and dad. It's particularly apt given the project I've been working on over the holiday season!
The Old Republic - Taking a Break
Regular visitors will have noticed a recent lack of updates on my adventures in The Old Republic. I started these updates with a lot of enthusiasm, and feel it's only fair to give some explanation as to why they stopped so suddenly.
The truth is, I haven't really been playing a lot of SWTOR lately. It's been a busy few weeks with finals and Christmas, but even before then my enthusiasm for the game was beginning to wane. Don't get me wrong - SWTOR is a glorious, sprawling, and ambitious project. Despite this, it just hasn't got me hooked. To work out why this is, I've been comparing my experiences of SWTOR with those of KOTOR I and II - two games I simply couldn't put down once I had begun playing. After some careful consideration, I think I might have put my finger on where the problem lies.
It all boils down to the fact that I'm struggling to immerse myself in the game. I've never been a big gamer - nor have I played many MMOs. For this reason, immersion plays a big part in keeping me engaged. I want to feel a part of the action and become truly invested in my character. Unfortunately, this just hasn't happened for me in SWTOR. I think there are two main reasons why this is the case:
It all boils down to the fact that I'm struggling to immerse myself in the game. I've never been a big gamer - nor have I played many MMOs. For this reason, immersion plays a big part in keeping me engaged. I want to feel a part of the action and become truly invested in my character. Unfortunately, this just hasn't happened for me in SWTOR. I think there are two main reasons why this is the case:
- A lack of roleplaying: From what I've experienced, players very rarely engage in in-game roleplaying. It's certainly not a compulsory part of playing an RPG, but it does a lot to add to the game if players tend to play in-character. It's hard to stay immersed in the fantasy of a Galaxy Far, Far Away when the General Chat is being spammed by messages regarding 'Tanks', 'Heals', 'DPS' and the allocation of Skill Tree points.
- Levelling: Any good RPG will of course require some sort of levelling system. Both KOTORs did this beautifully. Levelling occurred fluidly and rarely encroached on the narrative of the story. Players were free to explore and adventure as they saw fit, knowing that their skills were developing in tandem with their experiences of the galaxy. Unfortunately, the same is not true for SWTOR. I've found myself consistently and painfully aware of the in-game levelling system, so much so that it often detracts from my character's narrative. Side-quests - as opposed to being entertaining distractions - are compulsory chores for ensuring that your level is high enough in order to keep up with your main class storyline. Strict level requirements also mean that planets must be visited in a precise order - something which takes the huge and diverse galaxy of SWTOR and turns it into what feels like an on-rails adventure.
So there you have it. The two main reasons which - I believe - have stood in the way of my becoming more immersed in SWTOR. Neither is an intrinsic flaw of the game. Both are merely features which aren't compatible with my own playing style.
There may, however, be another explanation as to why these things are problems for me. Perhaps I'm simply playing the game wrong. If you think that might be the case, then do let me know be emailing me at relicsoftheforce@gmail.com. I'd truly love to become more engaged with this amazing game!
How to Speak Wookiee
This book - How to Speak Wookiee - A Manual for Intergalactic Communication - comes courtesy of my partner. It's beautifully presented and great fun to read. The electronic soundbox of Wookiee phrases is pure genius!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)