Star Wars: the Old Republic lead animator Mark How has penned an article about the critical nature of combat. Citing the visceral experience of the Star Wars movie combat sequences, How reassures fans that things are well in hand.

Years of training have brought them to this day. Through all of the obstacles, it is here that they stand facing one another. It is their destiny. Silence blankets the room, but after a moment it is broken as two shafts of light break the darkness and a rhythmic hum echoes off the walls. The two combatants face one another as they have against countless others. In an instant they are upon one another, engaged in a flurry of blinding clashes. They duel back and forth for what appears to be an eternity. Simultaneously a thought is heard. "The force is strong with this..."

Then a voice breaks in from behind the combatants.

"Err... excuse me guys, but I'd like to get to the coffee maker."

"Oh yeah, sure, no problem."

"Hey thanks, I'll get out of your way now."

"It's all good."

"...strong with this one!" Bwaaaaaa, waaaa, biiiish, bishh, waaaaa, waaaaa, bish, bish, bwishhoooom.

A typical day at the studio is often an obstacle course of ducking, dodging and waiting for the right moment to slip past the animators who are busily engaged in all sorts of combat. We are constantly taking center stage in the Art Pit smacking each other around, trying to brainstorm new ideas. Unfortunately for some, center stage happens to be right in front of the coffee maker and the water cooler. Yes, we may get a bit excited and start wailing on one another in the middle of the afternoon, but sometimes you need to act it out so that you can get the right timing and movement. Either that or we really just want to be Jedi. But honestly, should it be this difficult to get a cup of coffee in the middle of the afternoon?

I believe so and here's why.

Star Wars™ is one the most memorable movie experiences of my childhood. The visual experience of it was unlike anything else of that decade. It was a movie phenomenon that sparked the imagination of every person who watched it. I'm dating myself now, but as a kid, I remember playing with the Kenner Star Wars toys back in the late 70's and early 80's. I had an overly buff version of Luke Skywalker who had a lightsaber that retracted in and out of his arm and a pretty awesome version of Darth Vader. I remember playing for endless hours recreating every scene in the movie. Now, years later, I have the opportunity to help recreate that experience and dive deeper into the character development that we know and love so much. Back in the day, moving Luke's super buff arm in an up and down and smashing lightsabers together gave the impression that they were engaged in combat that mimicked the movies, but today's video games give us the opportunity to magnify that experience by 10,000 fold.

Combat is extremely crucial to the success of most video games and Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ is no exception. By referencing the films, we are able to create dynamic and exciting combat, but we are also challenged by the films themselves to deliver that same experience in a user controlled environment. The core of combat in Star Wars movies has always been centralized around the iconic saber battles. And what would a Star Wars game be without fantastic lightsaber battles?

Movement alone does not create great action, just as action alone does not create great character. BioWare is an industry leader for character and story development. Writing, Design and Animation all work together to deliver the character. In conjunction with LucasArts and the Star Wars intellectual property, we are given the opportunity to help create memories for the fans just as the original movies did for each of us. Han Solo and Princess Leia are etched in our minds as characters as real as anyone we know today, so too may be the characters in The Old Republic.

So here is where our story comes full circle. Just as I played with the toys as a child, we play again in the studio in front of the coffee maker, so that the gameplay experience that you will have may be as memorable for years to follow. So grab your cup of coffee and get ready for a ride.

Years of training have brought them to this day.

Mark How
Principal Lead Animator

Good to know that devs have their collective finger on the movies...it's not like they're an unknown quantity. *g*