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Spotlight On: The Old Republic's Imperial Agent Profession

We get a brief look at the Imperial Agent character class in this upcoming massively multiplayer game.

After making a huge impact at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo with an impressive new video trailer, Star Wars: The Old Republic has become one of the most highly anticipated games among online game fans and Star Wars fans alike. Publisher LucasArts had already revealed five of the game's character classes publicly: the Republic trooper, the smuggler, the Sith warrior, the bounty hunter, and the Jedi knight. It recently took the wraps off the sixth player-character class in the game, the Imperial agent, but at a recent press event, we had a chance to see this profession in action.

The trailer that launched a thousand blog posts.

The agent profession relies on stealth and trickery to get the job done. At a glance, it may seem like the profession is simply an Imperial analogue to the smuggler, but the agent focuses more on assassination skills that include both close-range "backstab"-style stealth melee and long-range sniper shots. The agent also focuses more on deadly hovering drones and an approach to stealth used for assassination purposes, rather than a hasty escape.

The demonstration we watched showed an agent character quietly climbing a series of ramps in what appeared to be a Republic base. A few guards kept watch at each ramp level, and rather than simply run in with guns blazing, we watched the agent take down each group stealthily. To dispatch the first pair of guards, for instance, the agent character first did a quick survey of available cover by mousing over nearby environmental objects. Like we explained in our E3 coverage of the game, cover works by letting you hover your mouse over environmental objects and projects a colored stick figure behind the objects to give you a preview of how much cover those objects will provide. The agent character selected a set of crates and clicked on them to acquire cover, causing the character to automatically tumble forward behind them, still out of sight of the rebel scum. The character then dispatched an exploding drone (those wonderful, baseball-sized hovering spheres) to flank one of the soldiers and fired a high-powered sniper shot to fell the other. As soon as the first enemy fell, the second became alerted to our presence and began firing on us, though a follow-up shot from our agent's rifle, which dealt damage to the second guard, triggered the detonator on our drone, blowing him to bits.

After clearing this obstacle, we then moved up to the next ramp level to find another pair of guards. We took a slightly different approach with these two, immobilizing one by using the agent's "sleeping dart" ability, which silently incapacitates an enemy, then tagging the second with a "poison dart" ability that inflicts an accelerating amount of damage over time but starts out so subtle that its targets may not even notice. We then tagged the sleeping guard with a drone. For a few moments, all was quiet, until the poisoned guard made the horrified realization that half his health had drained away and opened fire on us. A sniper shot got rid of him, and we disposed of the sleeping guard with a few more rounds.

The next ramp level up was a bit harder to negotiate because there was no cover this time around. With no cover to hide behind, our character was unable to simply pop out a few stealth shots, so we instead activated our stealth-field generating belt (a holdover from the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic single-player games). Apparently, this belt doesn't fully make your character invisible--rather, it just amplifies your character's stealth skill and helps you move more quietly, so you still need to stay out of sight. However, when in stealth mode, your character can utilize a backstablike stealth melee attack (with what looked like dual short "vibroblades"--the metallic swords of the Old Republic universe) that does huge damage to an enemy when performed from behind, and the last guard died bravely for the sake of showing off how this works.

The Imperial agent class appears to be a profession for players who want to think through and carefully coordinate their next moves in battle. This should prove interesting for players who enjoy playing stealth-based classes or assassin professions. Stay tuned to GameSpot for more updates on The Old Republic, its character classes, and more.

57 Comments

  • EpicFail37

    Posted Jan 25, 2010 6:02 am GMT

    backstab...Sniper fire...Exploding baseball thingies...i think im in love!

  • CptAsbjoern

    Posted Dec 13, 2009 2:52 pm GMT

    Cool, love stealth! Still think its the Inquisitor class for me though

  • shooters125

    Posted Dec 6, 2009 1:25 pm GMT

    Awesome the KOTOR stuff is still in this like the stealth belts and vibro blades. For the MMO the whole class to me is basically (using the WoW metric system ) Rogue + Hunter. Both of which are my favorite classes.

  • BasicLogic

    Posted Dec 1, 2009 5:35 pm GMT

    @jay_sonara

    There a gameplay videos on ign.com. Came out a while ago, but they are satisfying enough.

    Does anyone know if this is a monthly fee MMO, or a single purchase? I enjoy video games but I don't believe in constantly paying for something I won't be able to fit into my schedule every day.

  • jay_sonara

    Posted Nov 28, 2009 9:06 pm GMT

    Nice Movie but what about the gameplay?????

  • mortaleclipse

    Posted Nov 27, 2009 5:37 pm GMT

    not sure what people are talking about gamepaly and trailor. That trailor is really old and the gameplay looks nothing like it. IF you havent seen it, my best description is graphics is like a very updated WoW type of style. The characters have a cartoon look to them but it does look amazing. Cant wait for the game

  • HarlequinMK19

    Posted Nov 26, 2009 9:57 am GMT

    Spartan_fox, your comment leads to believe that you just suck at MMO's and probably all manner of video games in general. Do yourself a favor and don't bother with this one...or anything else coming out for that matter.

  • Spartan_fox

    Posted Nov 26, 2009 12:24 am GMT

    Yay. God forbid we don't throw in the absurdly overpowered-for-PvP stealth-based griefing class.

  • Dead1000

    Posted Nov 23, 2009 11:56 am GMT

    lol the trailer still has more action then all the 6 movies put together xD

  • Lordborg909

    Posted Nov 22, 2009 12:33 pm GMT

    Hmmm this does look very yummy, but as a former WOWer, who lost his soul for 3 years to the Blizzard hive-mind, im not sure me + newborn baby + this game = goodness. Indeed the equation might read me + newborn + game = (-wife)(-job)(-life) lol

  • remysola

    Posted Nov 21, 2009 6:03 pm GMT

    Nice video, and the best part is for PC! I'm happy

  • sudge7

    Posted Nov 20, 2009 6:40 pm GMT

    Im still trying to figure out how they will implement healing.

  • Eagleheart1980

    Posted Nov 20, 2009 1:39 pm GMT

    Yep Cinematic video from E3 and darn..very very nice Gave me shivers and watched this in HD for a few times and never can get enough..always feeling dizzy =) Gameplay videos also look nice and unique graphic style and sexcellent that Bioware didn't follow the photo realistic graphics Lightsaber's hilt could be a bit smaller and i guess it will be better when release comes. Anxiously waiting for the beta and more gameplay stuff and the reveal of all classes and hopefully Bioware makes in the way that one account can have only 1-3 characters Good luck Bioware

  • BigDaddy973

    Posted Nov 20, 2009 7:24 am GMT

    Dang, I thought I wanted to be a bounty hunter but now this class seems awesome...

  • airshocker

    Posted Nov 20, 2009 2:29 am GMT

    This is a cinematic trailer released quite a few months ago. Game-play will look NOTHING like it. Sorry to crush everyone's hopes.

    This is VERY old news.

  • alooy

    Posted Nov 19, 2009 10:20 am GMT

    If they wanna get in my wallet, the game better be as amazing as the trailer.

    Otherwise..I look forward to unleashing the dark side with my sith warrior.

    "Rebel scum"?? this game is Empire v Republic no rebels here.

  • yobaby2009

    Posted Nov 19, 2009 9:44 am GMT

    oh man i am speechless.
    about video
    it rockssssssssssssss........
    mind blowing video.
    hope gameplay will also have such combats and graphics.
    let's see when it will release.

  • kex72

    Posted Nov 19, 2009 6:12 am GMT

    this game looks like @#!#.

  • gashoe13

    Posted Nov 19, 2009 4:37 am GMT

    Dude. That trailer was amazing. Hope the actual gameplay is as awesome, although that's probably impossible with an MMORPG. (No offense, WoW)

  • shawise

    Posted Nov 18, 2009 11:56 am GMT

    only if the game play looked that good. still in all it looks like a good game.

  • Bafucin81 posted Nov 18, 2009 12:53 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Bafucin81

    Posted Nov 18, 2009 12:53 am GMT (hide)

    Video is not ingame........... the game look like WoW.. no wait. worse then WoW!

  • HatefulVentrue

    Posted Nov 18, 2009 12:40 am GMT

    Looks good. Graphics like DA:O and for mm. Well done Bioware/Lucas Arts. Can't wait for gameplay.

  • red1isdabest

    Posted Nov 17, 2009 8:59 am GMT

    my only issue w/ this game is its price! i wud hav thought that lucasarts wud hav cut us som slack after the "clone wars fiasco"...

  • Xrahta_Gamer

    Posted Nov 17, 2009 2:59 am GMT

    That looks rather good. can´t wait to test it

  • vorkosigan97

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 4:46 pm GMT

    Pairings are a little complex in TOR:
    Gameplay-wise, the Trooper equivalent is the Bounty Hunter. They don't match up thematically, but both are ranged high-damage blasters. Thematically, the Trooper is paired with the Agent (both military professionals), while the Smuggler is paired with the Bounty Hunter (both low-life mercenary underworld types).

  • BasicLogic

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 12:28 pm GMT

    Hopefully they can find a way to balance all these very different classes in PVP, because they have said nothing about weaknesses. Weaknesses are necessary for making every class equal.

  • eoj

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 10:19 am GMT

    i do hope boiware takes a page out of blizzard book and have pve and pvp severs. It makes since to do that because there is peace treaty as far as story goes. So people can't just openly attack people.

  • davidyang1123

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 10:03 am GMT

    thats one hot lookin bouny hunter might i add

  • davidyang1123

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 10:02 am GMT

    this movie is wicked
    that movie alone gave inspiration to me to play this game

  • eoj

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 9:37 am GMT

    yeah this is the counter part to the smuggler. But i'm glad they will play different though. So i wonder what will be the counter part for the empire's bounty hunter for the republic side? And what will the sith counter part to the trooper? Sith soldier maybe?

  • SicklySunStorm

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 1:59 am GMT

    This is gonna be so awesome

  • thedemon44

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 7:40 pm GMT

    Well, that convinced me to play the game

  • wopchop10

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 4:29 pm GMT

    the more classes i read about the more i realise im going to have to take a couple months off... of life itself lol
    side-note: i never get tired fo seeing that trailer

  • brian_13un

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 3:27 pm GMT

    Cool

  • titust755

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 2:44 pm GMT

    not rly "GLADE_GNARR" its more or less comparing a assassin to a smuggler. it kinda evens out because its discipline tactics versus dirty fighting

  • Glade_Gnarr

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 1:13 pm GMT

    So what this means is that comparing an agent to a smmugler is like comparing a ninja to a thief.

  • xNinjaKingx

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 12:04 pm GMT

    @ZooYorker540
    u and me both on those classes xD Bounty hunter, Imperial agent, and if i heard right a mandelorian =P

  • esmo23941

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 12:01 pm GMT

    Glad they added a somewhat equivalent to the smuggler. The cover mechanic in an MMO looked too good to pass up being a Sith.

  • ZooYorker540

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 10:51 am GMT

    This Class seems pretty cool and I'm Glad to see that people are thinking about playing it because what I'm most worried about is everyone Playing jedi knights and Sith Warriors
    I myself am thinking of playing Either a Bounty hunter or now Imperial Agent

  • sk1mrsteve

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 3:33 am GMT

    man i cant wait ..looks sick

  • andalore

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 2:30 am GMT

    Looks like I'll be a good guy in this I hate being the bad guy I always feel so bad Then again i guess thats what Bioware aims for

  • Maniac600

    Posted Nov 14, 2009 9:24 pm GMT

    Sounds like an interesting class. like Shinkada said, this game hasn't really proven itself yet to be a part of the KOTOR series; but, if professions like this are truly utilized in the game and not every person in the world uses a freakin jedi mabe we can make this a good, balanced MMO. What a pipe dream...

  • Eagleheart1980

    Posted Nov 14, 2009 6:35 pm GMT

    Uh yeah
    Will be Humble Jedi or..hmm..Smuggler..not sure yet,but atm.going more towards Jedi =) Good luck Bioware

  • Shinkada

    Posted Nov 14, 2009 2:37 pm GMT

    I'm still not really sold on this game, but, this went a long way to selling me on it. I hate how not-skill-based stealth classes have been in MMOs, what with games like WoW and City of Heroes letting you hide, indefinitely, and never get freaking seen, ever.

    But between needing cover and needing to not be seen, even WITH an invisibility belt, this class at least sounds really really good.

  • sircyrus

    Posted Nov 14, 2009 12:00 pm GMT

    Glad to see there's a stealth option for Sith players. My gaming group is going Sith, but up until now only the Smuggler had appealed to me.

  • MrRozeco

    Posted Nov 14, 2009 11:48 am GMT

    Its before darth bane was born in about 1,000 B.B.Y

  • jazilla

    Posted Nov 14, 2009 9:36 am GMT

    way more stoked to try out all of the classes after playing Dragon Age, and playing all of the different classes in that game. All of the classes in Dragon Age get their own unique opening to the game. Knowing BioWare, I feel that the class opening stories in SWTOR will be the same as Dragon Age, and that is a VERY good thing.

  • lampshade820

    Posted Nov 14, 2009 8:36 am GMT

    You...were deceived. Is this before or after Darth Bane? Because he created the Rule of Two, and there are way more than two Sith in the video. Although they could just be dark Jedi. Anyway, looking forward to it!

  • _Yosh_

    Posted Nov 14, 2009 8:08 am GMT

    Totally awesome!
    I have to say though that what they say sounds way too much like arthas when he takes over Lordaeron lol

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