Star Wars: The Old Republic is a story-driven multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Developed by BioWare, the game was announced in 2008 and released in mid-December 2011.
The game is set in the famous Star Wars universe 300 years after the events described in the "Knights of the Old Republic" duology and 3,500 years before the events depicted in Episode IV of the film saga. According to the storyline, prior to the start of the game, the Sith Empire's forces invaded the Galactic Republic, leading to the Great Galactic War. After the Sith Empire captured the Republic's capital on the planet Coruscant, a peace treaty was signed establishing that the Republic had lost the war. The game begins during what is known as the "Cold War" between the Sith Empire and the Republic: officially, all combat actions are prohibited, but at the same time, minor skirmishes between the Sith and Republic forces occur everywhere. The player will take on the role of one of many neutral characters, whose actions, combined with those of other players, will lead to a constant change in the game world.
The combat system is not significantly different from any other MMO, and all the standard components of any MMO (guilds, crafting, resource gathering) are also present in The Old Republic.
The game features two factions: the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic. Each side has its classes: the Sith Empire has Bounty Hunters, Sith Warriors, Imperial Agents, and Sith Inquisitors, while the Republic has Troopers, Smugglers, Jedi Knights, and Jedi Consulars. Each class is unique in its own way.
For example, the Imperial Agent is a class that attacks stealthily from cover and from a distance using a sniper rifle, while the Trooper is the primary combat unit that serves as a "tank" on the battlefield. In addition to their uniqueness, each class has its own storyline and its own ship. For instance, the Jedi Knight travels through the Galaxy, aiding in the fight against the Sith, while the Imperial Agent undertakes a secret mission from the Sith Emperor, in which he must expose the Republic's collusion with a criminal syndicate.
Like in Knights of the Old Republic, the game features a companion system: each class has its own companions that they can meet during their journey.
The game has many worlds familiar to us from the film saga, games, books, cartoons, and comics. Among these worlds are Tython (Typhon) - the base of the Jedi Order, Dromund Kaas - the capital of the Sith Empire, Coruscant - the capital of the Republic, Korriban - the location of the Sith Academy, and many others.