I am posting this as my initial response to the news that Bioware/LA are indeed working on a SW themed MMO.  I have read some of the initial reports/responses to the announcement and I think it is time for a bit of a reality check, both on my part, and on the part of the MMO community.  (Warning, this is long)

1. Jedi...Seriously, people need to just stop already with the "I hope there aren't Jedi in the game, it is going to ruin it!"  The game is going to have Jedi, and deep down you know it.  For former SWG vets I understand your desire to see them left out, but it isn't going to happen.  The real issue here is going to be how Bioware implements this archetype into the game.  If they do as SOE did and make them God characters then it is going to be aweful.  However, I think you are going to see that Jedi are going to be made on par with the other character types in the game.  Think of them as a hybrid between melee/mage classes for you WoW folks.  If done well it won't be that big of a deal. 

2. Sandbox... It's not happening.  Bioware has already told us that this game is not a sandbox.  How do I know this?  When they say that the game will be story driven, and we will have multiple characters in our "band" it tells me that the game will be similar in fashion and design to the Kotor games.  We can expect linear, story driven content and design.  I for one am very disappointed in this but it makes the development of the game much easier for Bioware.  The game is not a sandbox and this is a definite bummer. 

3. Pvp...I am guessing at this but I full well expect the pvp in the game to be similar to the pvp in Warcraft...i.e. an after thought.  The game will not center on pvp, rather it will center on story driven content (dungeon grinding) and will add in pvp as a function to drive story and improve player immersion.  Sadly, I believe this is the one area that Bioware will stick to the design of World of Warcraft.  I hate to admit it but this system works pretty well to keep a balance of play styles.  Also, I truely believe that Bioware is going to shoot for a mass audience.  If you want my real thoughts I believe this game is going to be developed as a true competitor to Blizzard and their dominance in the MMO world. 

4. SWG...There are many former SWG players who I know are excited about getting back into the Star Wars universe since the debacle that was SWG.  I for one am not looking for SWG 2, and neither should you.  SWG is dead, lets keep it there.  I have as much as anyone else built that game up as one of the best MMO's that was killed by poor development.  If I'm honest I had a blast in that game but it was a piece of shit from the start.  It never got better and the only thing that really made that game fun was the community and the crafting system.  The rest was buggy, unbalanced, and poorly designed. 

5...Haden Blackman....If I hear that this son of a **tch has any part in the MMO I will not even touch the game on release.  You would do well to do the same.  Anyone that knows what this douche nugget has done at Lucas Arts knows that he should've been fired years ago.  He's an arrogant and pompous ass who doesn't care one bit what the gamer wants, he only cares about generating hype and selling games. 

6....I'll take Anal Bum Cover for $200 Alex..."That's an album cover you horrible horrible man."  I'm hopeful that the game will deliver what Star Wars Galaxies could not.  I want an opportunity to play in the Star Wars Universe and immerse myself in the content.  On this point I truely believe that Bioware is going to hit a home run.

I, as it seems you are as well, am not overly excited by the game announcement. To be honest, it sounds like more of what we already have in terms of MMO's. But I am willing to wait it out and hope that it is only the fact that this is priliminary info that is giving me this feeling. Hopefuly, the game will reaveal itself to be great. But, we'll have to wait and see. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

The SWG Pre-NGE crew will hate this game. Not because of what it is, but because of what it isn't.

As disclosed above, and publically, this won't be a sandbox game. Let's just leave that point behind and move along.

My decision to play or not will be based on the features they put into the game, and what makes it stand apart from the industry. A lack of a solid PvP element will likely kill this game.

Good points so far guys.  I am wanting to be part of the "lets wait and see" crowd as we are a long way from finished product.  I agree with the comment about pre-cu folks not liking the game more because of what it may lack.  I will struggle with this as well but I want to take the game as best I can without trying to make it SWG 2.  I really hope/wish they would do a crafting system like SWG though.  I have yet to find another MMO that did crafting as almost a side game.  It was in depth, required thought and patience, and actually had an impact on the game.  I remember having to make dangerous runs into enemy territory to get repairs on my krayt t-21 rifle, or buy new vibroknuckles on TKA.  You knew who made the best gear and worked to get their stuff.  Man, I'm getting teary eyed just thinking about it. lol  I also really hope that they do the character creation/customization the way SWG did.  Still to date the deepest and richest character creation system of any MMO I have played.  Short, fat, tall, skinny, black, white, orange, mohawks, etc etc. 

Originally posted by Talin

The SWG Pre-NGE crew will hate this game. Not because of what it is, but because of what it isn't.

As disclosed above, and publically, this won't be a sandbox game. Let's just leave that point behind and move along.

My decision to play or not will be based on the features they put into the game, and what makes it stand apart from the industry. A lack of a solid PvP element will likely kill this game.

your right, but that crew has to grow up. The PRE NGE is dead. there will never be another swg game like it. But that doesnt mean nothing else can be good. They got to stop hanging on to teh past.

Nice to see a thought-out and well constructed post about this subject in the midst of all the uninformed spur of the moment crap that ensued after the offical SWTOR announcement. I tilt my hat to you, OP.