Under the Radar: The Great Heights of SWTOR

Under the radar is simply where I talk about things in SWTOR that I like and appreciate that tend to, well, go under the radar! 

One of the more underappreciated aspects of SWTOR that I don't see mentioned too often, that has a lasting environmental effect while playing the game, is just how BIG and detailed the interior environments are. This was definitely a conscious decision by the development team during the creation of the game, and it really did pay off. Everything is just absolutely massive in the environment, and the sense of scale is immense.

The next time you're playing the game (especially the vanilla planets) and you end up inside somewhere (or even outside most times), just stop for a minute and take a look-up and around you. This sort of design really outshines most of the other popular MMORPGs on the market, like World of Warcraft, where comparatively the buildings and interiors are usually rather cramped and confined beyond a few specific areas.

This sort of design adds depth, vibrancy and mass-scale to the world, it makes you feel small, which sounds like a bad thing, but ultimately is a good thing! It's one of those design aspects, that it's almost good that it goes consciously unnoticed. You want people not to notice without stopping and consciously looking, because that means it's doing its job, it fits seamlessly with Star Wars and it's design.

 

Korriban's Huge Statues

You can see this sort of design everywhere, but the starter planets like Korriban and Coruscant are very strong, early examples. The Korriban Sith Temple reveal as you come out from the initial starter tomb is absolutely enormous, and your tiny by comparison soon to be apprentice has to slowly meander towards this giant structure held up by enourmous statues, like an ant towards its nest in pure awe of the size of it. You're a cog in a very large machine, and the game shows you this perfectly, without having to say a word. (at least, before mounts were usable at level 1). 

 

There are multiple locations like this, even some of the interior class story caves and buildings are absolutely massive in vertical size, for what is usually the player character being there for 10-20 minutes maximum. The amount of work & love that went into these sorts of areas must have been extensive. You'll even notice in some areas, fully detailed ceilings, and sometimes even unique windows and glass ceilings miles above your head, never to be seen unless you stop and look upwards at that moment.

 

Imperial Fleet Ceiling

I could easily list off a bunch of areas here, but just try it the next time you play the game. Just stop where you are, and take a look around. In the real world, it seems that society is so obsessed with constant forward progress and the never ending goal to finish what you are doing to move onto the next thing. Sometimes, it's nice to just sit around for a while, smell the roses and take a look upwards!