Star Wars: The Old Republic is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) based on the Star Wars universe. Set a thousand years before the tale in the movies, players choose to join the Galactic Republic or the Sith Empire. Play as a Jedi, a Sith, a Bounty Hunter or as one of many other Star Wars iconic roles and explore an age over three-thousand years before the classic films. Become the hero of your own Star Wars adventure as you choose your path down the Light or Dark side of the Force.

Plot

The story takes place in the Star Wars fictional universe shortly after the establishment of a tenuous peace between the re-emergent Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic, 300 years after the events of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic games, and more than 3,500 years before the events in the Star Wars films. The Jedi are held responsible for the success of the Sith during the devastating 28-year-long Great Galactic War (which led to the Treaty of Coruscant prior to the “cold war”), and thus choose to relocate from Coruscant to Tython, where the Jedi Order had initially been founded, to seek guidance from the Force. The Sith control Korriban, where they have re-established a Sith Academy. The game’s “Return” cinematic trailer depicts the events where Korriban is re-conquered by the Sith. During these events, a smuggler named Nico Okarr is being led to his prison cell in a jail orbiting Korriban by a Jedi, Satele Shan, and her master, Kao Cen Darach. Suddenly, a Sith named Darth Malgus, who serves as the main antagonist, and his master Vindican, along with several Sith troops, attack the base. Satele, a trooper named Jace Malcom, and Okarr escape the attack, but Darach is cut down by Malgus. Malgus then kills Vindican, who was wounded by Darach. 10 years later, new conflicts have arisen. In the “Hope” cinematic trailer, Satele and some troops destroy a Sith party that includes Malgus, and Malcom, who has become the troop’s commander, states that, despite the losses, there is still hope amongst even “a single spark of courage”. Later in the “Deceived” cinematic trailer, however, Malgus, having appeared to survived the earlier attack albeit with a mask covering his nose and mouth, leads an army of Sith into the Jedi temple at Coruscant, killing many Jedi including the Jedi Grand Master Ven Zallow. Satele is later named the Grand Master.

Gameplay

Players join as members of either of the two main factions – the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. Although each faction is led by a benevolent or malevolent leader, it is emphasized that an individual member may possess a morality at any point along the light/dark spectrum. The project’s key focus is to differentiate between the player’s faction and morality. For instance, a member with ties to the Galactic Republic may belong to the Dark Side while attempting to achieve their own ends, which may be misaligned or dissimilar from the Republic’s vision.
Player advancement occurs by a combination of mission completion, exploration, and defeating enemies. New skills, unlocked by level, are taught by trainers and can be learned in game at a multitude of locations. Heroic missions exist that require the cooperation of multiple players to complete objectives, and can be repeated normally on a daily basis.
While each class in The Old Republic favors a certain play style (ranged/melee damage, healing or support skills, or tanking), customization combined with companion characters allow for a class to be able to tackle many different situations, with or without the support of other player characters, and without requiring specific other classes in order to move forward. (source: wikipedia)