Designing ships for any space-based game is an intense process. It’s building a home base, a fragile thing in a dangerous place. It can also be designing a weapon, a means of travel, and in a way designing a character as well. ForStar Wars Outlaws, Kay Vess’ shipTrailblazerhas to be all those things and more.
There’s no question that ships inStar Warsare iconic andStar Wars Outlawsis no different. From more general designs like X-Wings, Tie Fighters, and N-1 Starfighters to legendary named ships like theRazorcrest, theMillennium Falcon, and theGhost, each design is recognizable and fits broadly within the aesthetic of the galaxy far, far away. Game Rant spoke to creative director Julian Gerighty, narrative director Navid Khavari, and game director Mathias Karlson about the process of designing something that fits in with that legacy.
Kay Vess Blazes a Trail in Star Wars Outlaws
Space is vast, dangerous, and lonesome. A ship is a home, a vehicle, and the only thing between its crew and a rapid, painful death. A ship’s design in any form of fiction has to keep these things in mind, butinStar Warsthere’s also a long legacyto follow. Gerighty explained both the gravity of that and the excitement Massive had taking on the challenge.
“Starships inStar Warsare iconic and all immediately recognizable due to their striking silhouettes and it really was very exciting to create not only a new ship design but also a backstory for this ship, too—it really has had quite a journey of its own before Kay permanently borrows it.”
It’s incredibly important that a ship central to a story,a hero ship, be well-thought-out and given character and flair to keep the setting, often revisited and relied upon by protagonists, engaging for viewers or players. These ships have to radiate a personality all their own.Star Warshas traditionally done this to great effect; even when aStar Warshero ship is a generic model, like Ahsoka Tano’s T-6 Jedi Shuttle, it will typically be personalized, and of a model rarely seen elsewhere in the franchise.
That’s a tight needle to thread even before considering that without the presence of theJedi or the Force, theTrailblazeris one of the most important ways to establish theStar Warsfeeling for players. That was a primary consideration when crafting the worlds and story inOutlaws, said Khavari:
“For us, the journey of Kay, Nix, and ND-5 navigating the criminal underworld through cities bustling with scoundrels, an open world filled with exotic wildlife, or jumping into dogfights with theTrailblazerbrings an immersion into theStar Warsgalaxy that we feel players will have never experienced before.”
TheTrailblazerlooked for shapes in its design that would be both practical for a starship, but also cut an iconic shape and feel against the starry background. Gerighty said Massive looked to turtles and armored trucks for inspiration, drawing on the shell plating design. It alsoincorporated elements of toy designfrom the 1970s and 1980s to try and evoke the feeling of the classicStar Warstrilogy which debuted in that era.
That was an important touch of character for theTrailblazer, asStar Wars Outlawstakes place between original trilogy moviesThe Empire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi. Despite taking place distant from those grand battles, Vess’ story is set against that backdrop, so her ship needed to represent that snapshot of the galaxy far, far away.
A Girl, A Merqaal, and a Starship
Ultimately, the thing that drives Vess forward is a simple dream. She wants to live on her own terms, flying the galaxy with her pal Nix by her side. She doesn’t so much want to tear down the system as be unbound by it. Like in thecult classic showFirefly, the ship symbolizes freedom for a downtrodden Vess. For Karlson, that was the core fantasyStar Wars Outlawswanted to give players.
“Of course, it all started from the fundamental fantasy of having a starship you may call your own, as an outlaw in the Star Wars galaxy. A ship nimble and armed enough to hold its own in intense dogfights, yet sturdy and capable enough to explore treacherous areas and take on contracts from the syndicates. Say hello to theTrailblazer.
It was really important to us that space was seamlessly part of the open-world experience. You decide when to go there and what to do.”
Flying through the night isn’t uneventful. There are Imperial patrols, syndicate ships, and even the occasional pirate for Vess to deal with. That’s where theTrailblazershines both as a means of travel and a weapon itself. Thedogfighting is somewhat evocative ofStar Wars Battlefront’s design, possibly due in part toBattlefrontveterans working onOutlaws.
Karlson delved into the philosophy of dogfights inOutlaws, saying that Massive leaned in on a more intuitive experience than hardcore space simslike the upcomingStarship Simulator. He also explained the scale of space combat Vess may encounter.
“First of all, it was key for us that both flying and fighting with theTrailblazerwas really approachable and immediately gratifying, while still offering depth and challenge to grow over time.”
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“In terms of encounters, it can range from small one-on-one dog fights to significantly bigger battles with multiple and much larger ships.”
Players may be wanted and chased by the Empire, or earn a reputation by lending aid to a syndicate ship. Vess might also fly into a pirate ambush in an asteroid field. Each of these moments will be driven by player choice and actions, and each will have dangers and opportunities. As for flight itself, Podlesnigg assures players that there’s no feeling quite like pushing the sticks forward andjumping to hyperspacefor the first time.
