Template:CUSWFN/XX/SWM

{| style="text-align:center" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" valign="top" border="0" |

| style="padding:0.5em; background-color:#A8A8B5; font-size:90%; line-height:0.95em; border:solid 2px #e8e8e8" width="20" |
 * style="border-bottom:2px solid #A8A8B5" width="3" |

{| style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 1em; margin: auto" bgcolor="#A8A8B5" align=center The Completely Unofficial Star Wars Fanon Newsletter  Volume Edition XIX - November, 2008  Hello, , and, once more, the CUSWFN is here to greet you right at your doorstep, for November, 2008!
 * style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 1em; margin: auto" bgcolor="#D5DAE8" colspan=2|
 * style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 1em; margin: auto" bgcolor="#D5DAE8"|
 * style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 1em; margin: auto" bgcolor="#D5DAE8"|

Star Wars: The Old Republic

 * Written by Drewton

In 2003, BioWare made a game for thousand years before what we had known of Star Wars. Titled Knights of the Old Republic, the game was a massive success and won the award of "Game of the Year". The next year, another company, Obsidian, made the sequel to the game, and excellence was expected. Unfortunately, LucasArts did not give Obsidian enough time to complete it, and thus it was unfinished. The average reviews I saw were still extremely positive, saying that it was better than the first, though those opinions seem to have dropped lately as reviews have changed over the reviews for Attack of the Clones. I thought it was absolutely brilliant, and better than any other Star Wars works produced - yes, that includes the films. It was told by a character just as masterfully done as the game: Kreia, who, at the end of the game, reveals that she's lied to you the whole game. I knew she was manipulative, but I didn't expect that. At the end of The Sith Lords, Kreia reveals that Revan went off to find the True Sith and the Exile goes off to find him. In cut cotent, she speaks to Brianna and Visas of rallying an army for "the great war that comes". Of course, we all expected this story to be continued the next year with KOTOR III, the next installment of the series. The Sith Lords and III, as Chris Avellone has said, were really one story split into two parts, which is why TSL ended on such a cliffhanger.

So we all wait...meanwhile, in 2005, a year after the second was released, Obsidian had started work on the third game, which concept art has been found for. Unfortunately, LucasArts decided to completely redo their game schedule and cancel most of their games, including, if the rumor was correct, Republic Commando 2. KOTOR 3 became a Force Unleashed-style game, until it was The Force Unleashed. A great game, I thought, but certainly doesn't change the fact that KOTOR 3 needs to be done.

Back in 2005, none of us know that this is happening and are still waiting for an announcement. Then 2006 comes, and then 2007 in which TFU is announced. The wait for K3 feels as endless as the wait for the Team Gizka mod. A notable glimmer of hope came when SpikeTV announced they would be showing announcements for a new upcoming game, but alas, that turned out to be TFU again. Then we start hearing about a MMO, which we all think is a terrible idea. We speculate: is it KOTOR 3, or is it just another game in the Old Republic era?

Then in the summer of 2008, we read that LucasArts has filed the trademark "The Old Republic", which we all think (and now evidently, rightly so) is the new MMO. Meanwhile, angry fired LucasArts employees leak information about KOTOR 3. Now we think: are The Old Republic and KOTOR 3 separate games that they've been working on? Is this why there's been rumors of both the MMO and the much needed sequel to the trilogy?

Finally, in September, there is a poster that says, using KOTOR font, "The Wait Is Over". There is also an invatation which invites some meatbags over to a conference where they're going to announec the game that's been rumored, for like, years. Then this has to be KOTOR 3, eh? Ironically, the wait isn't quite over yet because now we're waiting for what this announcement will be.

Then on October 21 we wait at our computers, anticipating what we hope to be the Earth-shattering announcement. Then we find that it is an Earth-shattering announcement, of a shorts. It's the biggest disappointment in centuries. Perhaps ever. The game is a MMO titled "The Old Republic". Some concept art is released, which looks nice, but the graphics are terrible, and we soon discover this is 500 years after the first two games. That means Revan, the Exile, Bastila, Carth, and most importantly, Adum Lar, are all dead. Unless if a Muur Talisman is introduced. Death isn't great for one's health, FYI.

And, while the concept art looks nice, they ripped off designs from various eras, notably the clone trooper armor from the Clone Wars. Those guys in white were from the unknown-by-many films, by the way. I know, those five (or is it six?) episodes are so hard to keep track of lately. The Holiday Special and the new Clone Wars series are much more enjoyable.

Anyways, news about this game gets worse. The animation is stylized, and it feels like The Clone Wars in the KOTOR era. Revan never returned from the Unknown Regions, so that means he either forever bound his soul to the dark side, or more likely, he's in the state of death. How can they saw that such a popular character just...died? And the True Sith, lead by a Sith Emperor which sounds extremely similar to the One Sith, have returned. So KOTOR II is now pointless. Meh.

I was at first optimistic about this still, but I realized KOTOR III won't be made if this game's successful. This game will stop any possibility or hope of KOTOR III. Even if it doesn't, KOTOR III is going to be terrible: you'll play as Revan and/or the Exile in the Unknown Regions, which is what we've all been waiting for, but we'll die. Unless if TOR is declared non-canon. And, this game will have no end. People complained about KOTOR II's ending, but this MMO won't have one at all as long as it lasts. We'll never know the result of the war between the Republic and the True Sith, at least in the game.

So, to conclude, most of us are scratching our heads at this and thinking: why? The only redeeming thing I find in it is some flashy designs and pics will be good fodder for my fanon articles, notably the Darth Haagen trilogy. Feel free to discuss this tragedy.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

 * Written by Unit 8311

The Force Unleashed - Downloadable content

 * Written by Drewton



Following up on last edition's reviews for The Force Unleashed, we now present the new downloadable playable characters for TFU. Now, if you want a game version of Dark Empire, you can play it. Luke Skywalker has been unleashed. I'm also pleasantly surprised that LucasArts is putting unrelated EU characters into the game. Darth Sion was a complete surprise, and the Imperial Commando (identical to the Republic Commando) all but confirms an Imperial Commando game. Which reminds me, I was skimming through the silly new Order 66 and Sev appears to be in it. Alive, too.

If they're putting Sion into TFU, there's a good possibility they're going to add a lot more KOTOR characters into the game. Good for images on the Wook. There's even some new costumes for Starkiller, who appears to be have a bigger wardrobe than Padme. My predictions for future skin packs are:
 * Bastila Shan - KOTOR
 * Darth Caedus - LOTF
 * Darth Krayt - LEGACY
 * Darth Malak - KOTOR
 * Darth Nihilus - TSL
 * Darth Plagueis
 * Darth Revan - KOTOR
 * Darth Traya - TSL
 * Desann - JK
 * General Grievous - ROTS
 * HK-47 - KOTOR
 * Jerek - JK
 * Kyle Katarn - JK
 * Luke Skywalker (Grand Master) - LOTF
 * Lumpy - Holiday Special

Want to discuss this or add some additional suggestions? Feel free to here!

CUSWFN edition XX CUSWFN EXX
 * }