Star Wars: The Old Republic Preview

VideoGamer.com: Can the companion characters replace human-controlled characters in a raid of an instance?

BC: They're not meant as replacements. If you're in a group, each one of the group members could still have a companion character. It's an augmentation, but that works with the solo game as well. So really they're there for you to be used when and how you see fit. Similar to other BioWare games, we don't necessarily force companion characters on you. It's a way to augment your play style.

VideoGamer.com: How many companion characters will you be able to use at the same time?

BC: One at a time.

VideoGamer.com: How many will you be able to have in reserve?

BC: We haven't announced that yet. All I will say is there are multiple companion characters for each class, and unique to each class.

VideoGamer.com: If two players are playing the same class, they'll have the same companions?

BC: Available, yes.

VideoGamer.com: Are you able to interact with them? Will you be able to talk to them?

BC: Yes, absolutely. The companion characters have their own stories, and those stories will be integral. Again, it goes back to traditional BioWare gameplay and storytelling, where companion characters have an influence. If you have a certain companion character with you at a given time, they may open up and say something. It changes your gameplay experience based on which companion character you have with you. They can augment the story in different ways. You're also able to potentially romance certain companion characters as you've been able to in other BioWare games as well.

VideoGamer.com: I imagine there will be less sex in The Old Republic than we've seen in Dragon Age!

BC: Right!

VideoGamer.com: Do you intend for The Old Republic to be a BioWare game that's also an MMO, in that order?

BC: Let me put it this way, we intend for it to be a Star Wars game that is also a BioWare game, probably somewhere in that order but those are fairly equal, because storytelling is just as important to LucasArts as it is to us. That's the approach. Coming at it from that and then, yes it is an MMO. Really that's repeating what I said about characters. We didn't come at it from, it's an MMO, what classes do we need to have? It was, it's a Star Wars game, what classes do we need to have? And then we figure out how to make that work intelligently in an MMO setting.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is due out exclusively on the PC. No release date has been set.