Star Wars The Old Republic Comics, Volume 2: Threat of Peace [NOOK Book]

1. How important are The Old Republic graphic novels to the game?
a. The Old Republic graphic novels are a rich complement to many of the epic storylines in the game, but they're purely optional. The storylines in the game stand alone entirely; the graphic novels just provide additional context and backstory for many of the elements, themes, and characters that players will encounter in the game. For those who do read the graphic novels, however, you'll get a little more depth to some of the stories and characters, and that could help shape the decisions you make in the game. For instance, you may encounter a particularly nasty character in the game, the kind of guy you really want to skewer on the end of your lightsaber. If you've read the graphic novels, however, you may have learned a little more about this character's background and it may give you pause when it comes time to decide the character's fate because you may be more sympathetic. There will also be themes and storylines related to the inner workings of the Empire and the Republic that you'll encounter in-game, and you may understand immediately what's going on because you've already learned something about these ideas in the graphic novels.

2. As a BioWare writer, what do you think BioWare offers in terms of storytelling that no other game developer can?
a. Being a member of BioWare writing team was a dream of mine, and I have to acknowledge that more than anything, I learned the importance of quality in storytelling. I should also acknowledge the genius of lead writer Daniel Erickson and really all the writers on the team who have spent years writing and rewriting the plots and dialogue you'll see in the game, and making them really special. Because writing is the first part of the game development process at BioWare, what we can offer as a developer is a game that's not just a set of rules and combat animations with a thin plot tacked on, but really a game experience that's story-driven from the very core of what the game is. Our ultimate goal is to deliver an emotionally engaging gaming experience, and we believe that story is the most critical element in creating that. We want you to be drawn in by the story and the characters. When you get together and talk with your friends about the game, we want you to talk about the plots, the characters, and some of the difficult decisions you've had to make, not just whether dual-wielding lightsabers is more effective than wielding a single saber.

3. A huge part of MMO gaming is the storytelling component. How does Threat of Peace tie in to the game that makes it an essential part of the game's story?
a. I think story will indeed be a huge part of MMO gaming in the future, because after you've played an MMO with that added dimension, you might not want to go back. As I said before, Threat of Peace is not essential to understanding the stories in the game, but it may be more closely tied to the game than other game-inspired comic series, and that's due the fact that several members of the writing team helped me in brainstorming storylines and then even provided feedback on each of the scripts. It was developed in close conjunction with the game itself, and it may even be something that after you've played through the game, you'll want to revisit, because you'll see a lot of little crossovers that you might have missed the first time you read it.

4. From a writer's standpoint, how do you handle storytelling between the game and Threat of Peace?
a. One of the things that made Threat of Peace specifically a lot of fun to develop was that it wasn't a spinoff of the story of the game, but rather the elaboration on a crucial event in the game's backstory. The Treaty of Coruscant came after more than two decades of war between the Republic and the Sith Empire. Why, after so many years of war and with the blatant differences in the two civilizations would these two sides agree to a peace treaty? How did the soldiers fighting on the front lines react to this surprising turn of events? These are questions that arise naturally as you're learning about the backstory of the game, and the comic addresses them. Another aspect of this for me personally, was that I got to elaborate in the comic on some of the characters I had created in the game. In the game, of course, they are all taking part in a story where the player is the hero, but in Threat of Peace, I got to develop another story around another time when these characters themselves were the heroes.

5. Threat of Peace differed from Blood of the Empire dramatically, especially in the kinds of characters you and Mr. Freed created. How did you end up deciding who was going to focus on Jedi, and who was going to focus on Sith?
a. I certainly can't claim that it was premeditated. My focus was on creating a storyline with an ensemble cast, something everyone could relate to and something that drew from several different parts of the game. I focused primarily on Jedi in the comic because I had focused primarily on Jedi in my work on the game. I also thought that was the easiest way to introduce readers to the setting since it builds off the familiarity with Jedi that was established in the films. I think Alex took a totally different tact in developing Blood of the Empire because it focused on one protagonist and it delved primarily into only one of the game's storylines. I think both approaches have their merits.

6. Will the books draw readers to the game? Or will the game draw readers to the books? As a consumer, what is your experience with these questions?
a. I think it goes both ways. People who become really passionate about the game are going to want to read the comics to immerse themselves even more thoroughly in the time period, the characters, and the themes. I think comic book readers, particularly Star Wars fans, may pick up the comics and realize that The Old Republic adds a lot of new ideas to the franchise as a whole, and that it also delivers on the Star Wars experience. Hopefully that will entice them to give the game a shot, and I'm confident that anyone who enjoys Stars Wars and enjoys a good story will be drawn into the game regardless of whatever preconceived notions they may have about games in general or specifically about MMOs. For myself personally, I've experienced this from both sides, but more often, I've been drawn to a game by comics, simply because it convinced me that there was a compelling story attached to the game, and then I was interested in giving the game a shot.

7. How did working on the game prepare you for Threat of Peace?
a. Working on the game completely immersed me in Star Wars. I may have been a hardcore fan before, but after a couple of years of writing on the game, I feel comfortable in calling myself an ‘expert fan'. So that was the main thing. Additionally, working with the other writers on the team, brainstorming ideas for the storylines in the game, I think I got a good sense of what works and doesn't work in Star Wars, and in a universe where the reader/player is going to be playing the role of one of the heroes.

8. How much did you think about pleasing gamers and readers simultaneously when writing Threat of Peace?
a. For better or worse, I don't think I ever differentiated, at least not consciously. I think there's a lot of overlapping between the two groups, and I was aiming the story of Threat of Peace to appeal to the people who fit into both categories first and foremost. One of the coolest things about the world of comics is that there is so much diversity of approach in story-telling. Some comics are driven almost entirely by internal dialogue, while others have none whatsoever. Clearly, I chose the latter approach for Threat of Peace and that was because the only internal dialogue you'll find in the game is your own, and I wanted to be consistent with that in the comic. At the same time, the game is an experience centered around one protagonist and for Threat of Peace, I thought readers would enjoy a larger, more diverse set of perspectives, so in that respect, I may have leaned more toward the reader. Regardless, I hope both gamers and non-gamers alike enjoy the comic for what it is, and I hope that for those who do play the game, that Threat of Peace adds another dimension to some of the characters and storylines and helps in delivering that emotional experience, which is really what we at BioWare are all about.