New Interview: Lead Combat Designer, Georg Zoeller on Torocast 1/12/11

Interview: Lead Combat Designer, Georg Zoeller http://www.torocast.com/index.php/news/item/407-torocast-interview-lead-combat-designer-georg-zoeller

TOROcast was given the opportunity to fire off a few questions to BioWare after the Jedi Immersion event to clarify as well as expand on some of the information we were given while attending the event. We would like to give a special thanks to Lead Combat Designer, Georg Zoeller, for answering our questions!

TOROcast: When looking at the Jedi Knight and their two Advanced Classes, the skills that they acquire within their chosen AC seem to pigeonhole them into either becoming a tank or a melee DPSer. Is this the case or will it be possible for those Advanced Classes to move beyond one trinity role?

Georg Zoeller: While the Jedi Guardian can become a fully capable Tank (in terms of the trinity), they can also be specced to be competitive damage dealers, even with a single saber.

TOROcast: Now that we have seen quite a bit of information regarding the Jedi Knight and the Jedi Consular, can we expect the Sith Warrior and Sith Inquisitor to be gameplay mirrors, or are those classes going to be quite a bit different from their Republic counterparts?

Georg Zoeller: The Jedi Knight and Consular fill the same functional roles on the Republic faction that the Sith Warrior and Inquisitor fill on the Empire side. As such, there is a fair bit of similarity in their respective capabilities, although the detailed gameplay mechanics can deviate between the two.

TOROcast: There is some concern over Consulars being limited to dress-like robes and 'that hat.' Will they be able to have options to look more like a Jedi Knight?

Georg Zoeller: There is a good variety of outfits available for Consular characters, including some non-robe outfits, but a Consular is not able to wear the armored outfits available to the Jedi Knight, so they will never be able to achieve the exact same look.

TOROcast: Early in development, BioWare said that they were doing something unique and special with healing. What is happening that is different compared to a typical MMO design?

Georg Zoeller: In Star Wars: The Old Republic, improving your character’s Presence attribute, which governs healing ability, also improves the character’s active companion in various ways. Coupled with the ability to adjust companion behavior and equipment, this enables the player to function as a healer; even in solo situations.

TOROcast: It has been long debated about which class is the best healer for the Republic since it is known that the Smuggler has healing abilities. Will one class be a superior healer or are they both completely viable as a primary healer?

Georg Zoeller: All classes with access to healing abilities (and there are more than you think) are completely viable as primary healers in The Old Republic.

TOROcast: Will a Jedi Knight or Jedi Consular ever have a reason - other than just for kicks - to fight with a non-lightsaber weapon? Would that include blasters?

Georg Zoeller: Jedi Characters can wield certain non-lightsaber weapons, but blasters? No. Who brings a gun to a lightsaber fight anyway?

TOROcast: Consulars, Sages in particular, appear to have very little need for a lightsaber. Is it possible for a Sage/Consular to simply be unarmed or would there be significant drawbacks to that?

Georg Zoeller: While you could certainly play a Sage unarmed for roleplaying reasons, you would sacrifice not only the ability to finish off opponents who managed to get close to you with a quick strike, you would also sacrifice the defensive benefits a lightsaber can offer, especially when dealing with pesky blaster fire.

TOROcast: Consulars appear to rely deeply upon their Force points for their abilities. What recourse do they have once they are drained of Force points and still have enemies attacking them?

Georg Zoeller: Both advanced classes have ways of handling such a situation, depending on their skills. For example, a Sage may be able to sacrifice health in a last bid to overcome his attackers - an ability that can obviously backfire when seriously outnumbered.

TOROcast: We know balancing questions are tricky to answer, but what has your approach been to balancing the Shadow? MMO players can quickly recognize the dangerous PvP potential of a stealth class with burst damage, crowd control, healing, and ranged DPS.

Georg Zoeller: While the Shadow will certainly be a very versatile and potentially deadly adversary in the hands of skilled players, they are balanced to handle lengthier fights like any other melee class. They also are not equipped to heal themselves, which should alleviate some of those fears.

TOROcast: The story that we have seen for both Jedi classes from levels 1-10 seems very epic in scale considering it is such an early level. Should we expect something similar for all classes? Will that scope continue throughout the game?

Georg Zoeller: Yes. Smile

Again we would like to thank Georg Zoeller for taking the time to answer our questions. Thank you.

Competitive damage dealer with a single saber...
Shadow is not necessarily all about burst...

excuse me but YAY!

I see a lot of very positive info in that interview, I especially love how they are spreading the ability to heal around instead of confining it to one AC

Georg Zoeller: While the Jedi Guardian can become a fully capable Tank (in terms of the trinity), they can also be specced to be competitive damage dealers, even with a single saber. I think this just made my decision between Guardian and Sentinel for me on my Knight alt. Guardian here I come.

Georg Zoeller: All classes with access to healing abilities (and there are more than you think) are completely viable as primary healers in The Old Republic.Combat Medic as part of the Commando build??? I'm not sure what he's getting at here, but I'm damn intrigued to find out.

Oh WOW , check out this response by GZ
http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=250147&page=7

Wouahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahaha!

Sorry...

Xavier wrote:

Georg Zoeller: While the Jedi Guardian can become a fully capable Tank (in terms of the trinity), they can also be specced to be competitive damage dealers, even with a single saber. I think this just made my decision between Guardian and Sentinel for me on my Knight alt. Guardian here I come.

Georg Zoeller: All classes with access to healing abilities (and there are more than you think) are completely viable as primary healers in The Old Republic.Combat Medic as part of the Commando build??? I'm not sure what he's getting at here, but I'm damn intrigued to find out.

Second one is up in the air a bit, since Mongo's post raises interesting speculation.

Second skillset of the Sentinel and Commando = Healer hybrid? It's possible now, I suppose. Specially since we know the Guardian/Vanguard's get a dps/etc build. As the quote below says (inside the link Mongo provided,) I speculate we might see some sort of Sentinel dps/healer hybrid. Would that be something, melee healer, and a Jedi no less. Could be VERY interesting to see how THAT would work for a Trooper!

Mongo wrote:

Oh WOW , check out this response by GZ
http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=250147&page=7

This just got REAL interesting.

Thx for the post Kai...and the "Mongo Post"..um...Mongo...Great read!!

Dang (<--Selven profanity filter activated) this is getting exciting!!

Yeah, I love it! Get the effin game out already!

Wow, your "Selven profanity filter(tm)" even works on YOU!!

Thats effin (<--Selven profanity filter activated) what the?? Not that shizz (<--Selven profanity filter activated)...No! not anymore of those fuggen (<--Selven profanity filter activated)...dang! (<--Selven profanity filter activated)

Schwendo wrote:

Wow, your "Selven profanity filter(tm)" even works on YOU!!

Thats effin (<--Selven profanity filter activated) what the?? Not that shizz (<--Selven profanity filter activated)...No! not anymore of those fuggen (<--Selven profanity filter activated)...dang! (<--Selven profanity filter activated)

I know, right /cry

Even a moderator can't have some fun! I told you, it's my evil twin .. or clone or whatever

Dang, even my whip got too nasty for the filter!

I know we shouldn't talk about leaks, but I (and maybe some other people) already saw the Marauder and Shared skill Trees from the Sith Warrior. In those trees there are no heals.
And in the DH info about abilities there are no heals for the Jedi Knight either.

So the only classes left that might heal are the BH and the Trooper.

I find that a bit strange (like I already said on the forums) because those classes were suposed to be the full on damage dealers with loads of armor and guns or tanks with loads of armor and guns.
Will we see a healer with loads of armor and guns? :\ That sound a bit odd. I never imagined those two classes healing.

It's true that in other games there are Cloth, Mail and Plate healers, but Bounty Hunters healing is something completly new to me. I just hope that they wont copy the Operative/Scoundrel method. (Kolto darts and those healing rays).

Nah Bounty Hunter will use that grappling lasso, pull out a near death player close to them and stab them with a bacta shot.

/totally made up.

As much as the original statement, and the second confirmation by Georg intrigued me, I'm not gonna let my imagination run wild here. I've got this funny feeling we're over thinking it.

Selven wrote:

I know, right /cry

Even a moderator can't have some fun! I told you, it's my evil twin .. or clone or whatever

Do you both come with whips?

azarhal wrote:

Nah Bounty Hunter will use that grappling lasso, pull out a near death player close to them and stab them with a bacta shot.

/totally made up.

That actually would be pretty awesome, have some tough love! /PUNCH

An interesting comment GZ. I know from the beginning I was hoping for more (advanced) classes with the ability to heal. The more different classes that can heal the less "You rolled Sage so you have to go down the Seer tree or you're playing it wrong." we will get. Early on I was hoping the shared tree for consular would be healing, but then after the GZ interview I realized that a character with stealth, burst melee damage, force powers and healing may be a little OP.

azarhal wrote:

Nah Bounty Hunter will use that grappling lasso, pull out a near death player close to them and stab them with a bacta shot.

/totally made up.

That actually would be pretty awesome, have some tough love! /PUNCH[/quote]

Makes me think of D&D 4e when they introduced the warlord with an "Inspiring word" healing ability. My warlord took to yelling (usually insults) at my comrades so that they would be "inspired" to ignore their wounds at keep on fighting. It was a ton of fun to think up new insults and have license to insult comrades. I very often put the whole group in stitches.

Kai-Sun wrote:

Do you both come with whips?

You wish!