RepublicTrooper conducted an interview with Charles Boyd, Principal Lead Writer for SWTOR, trying to extract information about the Soldier from him.
Trooper Republic: Are there particular sources that inspired the story of the Soldier?
Charles Boyd: There are too many to name them! Like the Star Wars films, the Soldier storyline was created from various inspirations: war films, political thrillers, military science fiction, and many action films. Hopefully fans of these kinds of stories will find a lot to like about The Soldier and we hope to gain some new fans too!
RT: Compared to the scenarios of other classes, what is the level of surprise throughout the story of the Soldier?
CB: Soldiers are constantly faced with unexpected situations and complications in carrying out their missions for the Republic, including some really big surprises that will change everything for the player. That said, these big twists aren't as central (to the story) for the soldier as it might be for other classes like the Imperial Agent, the Sith Inquisitor, or the Jedi Consular who spend more than time to discover the many mysteries of the galaxy.
RT: Have you ever written any storylines for post-launch content?
CB: Yes! MMOs are living games and it is important for us to continue to provide new and exciting content for our players soon after the game launches.
RT: Was there something you really wanted to do with the Soldier story that didn't fit or that you weren't able to implement?
CB: One of the perks of a project of this magnitude is that we got a lot of time to explore the stories and characters that players encounter, so I think we've definitely covered all the important points. Of course, any writer can give you a laundry list of items they'd like to explore in more depth or characters they'd like to develop further, so I look forward to doing that when we add more post-launch content.
RT: One of the biggest inspirations for the Soldiers stated by BioWare is the Soldier in the ad, but no one seems to know who he is. Can you enlighten us on his identity?
CB: I can! His name is Jace Malcolm and he was the commander (but not the founder) of the original Havoc squad, before the Republic Army Special Forces teams were reorganized into a separate division. The success of the Havoc squad on Alderand has shown the galaxy what small, elite units can accomplish. Malcolm is certainly an inspiration to all Republic Soldiers. He has since been promoted to a senior command role and he often acts as the army's consultant to Republic allies as the Cold War heats up.
RT: Are there any scenario differences between the advanced Soldier classes?
CB: In order to encourage players to choose the advanced class they like the most, we decided that this choice would not impact the plot. We don't want people to feel pressured into choosing a playstyle that they don't like in order to see a particular story segment.
RT: Can you tell us the background story of the Soldier's adventures and how it will be with his various companions instead of being a part of a large military unit?
CB: While all of the Soldier's Companions are a mix of personalities, skills, and backgrounds, they are all members of the Havoc Squad, just like the player, and part of the Republic Army organizational structure. . That said, as the Havoc Squad's Special Forces teams are specifically trained to be more effective than standard military units, they must go to places a larger unit cannot go and with only minimal. Support. Of course, this is not to say that Soldiers will not be called upon to work together in more traditional military units to achieve their objectives when circumstances require.
RT: What kinds of choices will Soldiers face in their history? Something like choosing to kill a bunch of innocent people to complete the mission or let them live and see the mission fail?
CB: I prefer not to give the details before launch, but like in your example, the Soldier is often forced to decide how far he is willing to go to beat the enemy. Other choices play between his loyalty to the Republic versus his loyalty to a friend or his personal interests. How do you interact with the enemy when you are not actively fighting and not abuse a position of authority for personal gain?
RT: At what level are the Soldier's companions an integral part of the story? Can you give specifics?
CB: The Soldier's companions are specialists in various fields and play an essential role in the missions of the Havoc squad. Being part of an elite squad is an essential part of the Soldier experience and companions are the primary means we bring to the player.
RT: How does the Soldier's ship fit into the story? Is it related to the story itself?
CB: The Soldier's ship is his barracks, briefing room and leads him in and out of combat, as we see, the Soldier has heavy use of it throughout the scenario.
RT: What can you tell us about the Soldier-specific romance options? How do these options affect the overall story?
CB: To avoid any specifics, the Soldiers have many options for romance with their companions and elsewhere in the galaxy, which can lead to some very difficult decisions. War can complicate many relationships.
RT: What were the biggest challenges in creating an epic story for the Soldier class?
CB: Coming back to one of the questions asked earlier - I think the biggest challenge has been finding the right balance between the control and independence given to the players and their membership as just part of a military organization with a chain of strict command and orders to follow. Both of these aspects are essential to the enjoyment of the player, so we spent a lot of time making sure we found the right compromise.
RT: Is there anything in the Soldier's story that you can sell off that players can't expect?
CB: You will not receive any revelations from me!
RT: What can you tell us about the voices of the Soldier class actors?
CB: I feel truly honored to have two exceptional actors voicing the Soldier: Jennifer Hale and Brian Bloom. The opportunity to have such talented people do my job has been the highlight of my career, and I'm very confident that the players will really enjoy both of their performances.
