Do you love Star Wars? Have you played all the Star Wars MMOs? We say “all” like it is a lot but really it’s only 3 (2, depending on who you ask). Well if you ask Massively writer Jef Reahardm, he’ll tell you there is three. They did a recent poll on their site to see what the readers thought was the best: Star Wars has gotten the MMO treatment not once, not twice, but three times. This is assuming that you count SOE’s Clone Wars Adventures browser title, which I do since it features extensive progression, non-combat activities, and a slew of other MMO-like features in spite of its heavy use of instancing. Then there’s Star Wars Galaxies, of course, followed by Star Wars: The Old Republic. For today’s Leaderboard, help us pick the best Star Wars MMO (or at least, the most popular according to Massively commenters). Vote…
Author: Lisa Clark
New SWTOR Players- How to Pick Your Advanced Class
If you’re new to SWTOR, one of the first questions you might have is about which advanced class you should play. Don’t worry- everyone asks this question. The truth is, there is no wrong class. There are good things about all of them but you will want to choose the one that best suits your player style for starting out, until you learn the game more and really get into it. Don’t forget to check out constantly growing list of guides for Star Wars: The old republic Many players find after playing SWTOR for awhile, that they want to have one of every class or at least a couple of different Advanced Classes that interest them. So we’ll take a look at the different Advanced Classes and help you know how to make the decision for yourself. The first thing you need to know is that once you choose an Advanced…
Companions 101: Mako
BioWare has brought us the latest Companions 101 installment and this time, it’s all about Mako! I’m a fan of the bounty hunter myself so I’ve been looking forward to this one. If you want to learn more about Mako and her backstory, then you will enjoy this Companions 101. Just remember, there are spoilers in these! Meeting Mako Despite her energetic and upbeat attitude, Mako’s life hasn’t always been easy. She grew up on the streets of Nar Shaddaa without any idea who her real family was or how she received her cybernetic implants. Because of these implants, Mako has a constant connection to the Galactic HoloNet. At a very young age, she showed great skill in computers – particularly slicing. After finding out that the Red Light Orphanage she belonged to was going to sell her, Mako used her skills to crash their accounts and escaped to the…
Should You Do the SWTOR Bonus Series?
We wrote about this before in the past- those bonus series of quests on each planet. Just when you think you are finished with all there is to do, there is another quest that leads to a whole chain of more missions. So what do you do? Do you do them or do you skip them and move on to the next planet? That is the magic question, after all! Well, of course it is your personal decision as a player- some people like getting all the content completed where others just want to blow through to that level cap. But let’s explore the pros and cons of doing the bonus series quests and you can make a decision for yourself. Rewards- Well first, there are rewards for doing these quests and there are some differences in these rewards from regular rewards. While you will get the same credits and…
EA Believes “Freemium” is the Future
Are free to play games with paid upgrades the way of the future? What happened to the days when you go to the store, buy a game and then own it outright- all of it, the full versions of it to play as you choose? Some said that SWTOR would be the last pay to play MMORPG and even it has now gone F2P. Of course, many question how “free” it actually is when there are so many restrictions that you need to pay to unlock. This is what many call “freemium” gameplay models. And if you ask Electronic Arts, freemium is where it’s at. Gamespot tells us: The freemium business model is “where things are going,” according to Electronic Arts vice president of mobile and social studios Nick Earl. Speaking to GameSpot sister site CNET about the recent launch of Real Racing 3, the executive explained that the mobile…
Can’t Get What You Want on the Cartel Market?
The Cartel Market seems to be a winner for BioWare because just recently, they issued another game update with yet another change to the Cartel Market. The problem is not all players are happy with this system. Before we get to that, it’s important to note that nearly every update since November of 2012 has brought updates to the Cartel Market. The Spry Minds says best what a lot of players are already thinking: Why can’t I buy what I want? Here’s a snippet from a post they did on this very topic: In the latest game update, Bioware has released some of the best gear creation the team has done to date and of course it’s only available for purchase outside of the game. ot surprisingly, they are only available via Cartel Packs, which is nothing short of playing slot machines at your local casino. Put your money in…
New Star Wars Game Info Leaked Online: First Assault
Star Wars: First Assault footage was leaked to Kotaku and is supposed to be the predecessor to Battlefront III. While we’re reading that this game could also be in limbo (like 1313), we’re hoping it’s still going to production. Some say it’s just another generic shooter game but there are fans who had high hopes for the potential of Star Wars: First Assault . As Kotaku posted on March 11th: Today, Kotaku can reveal that Star Wars: First Assault is a downloadable multiplayer shooter that was originally slated for release this spring. The game supports up to 16 players—one eight-person team of rebels and one eight-person team of Stormtroopers—as they face off on Star Wars worlds like Bespin and Tatooine. And according to one person familiar with the project, First Assault is “step zero” to the heavily-rumored, highly-anticipated Star Wars: Battlefront III. If First Assault sells well—assuming it is released at all—the third Battlefront could be next. They go on to describe the game in…
What is Your Plan for SWTOR Double XP Weekend?
It’s Friday! And this weekend, that means double XP in SWTOR. It’s here to kick off the Relics of Gree event and if you have been away from SWTOR for awhile, it’s also an opportunity to come back with preferred status AND the double XP. This is the first of four double XP weekends coming up as follows. Double XP weekends will be held at the following times: March 15, 2013 beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET to March 18, 2013 at 3:00 a.m. ET March 22, 2013 beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET to March 25, 2013 at 3:00 a.m. ET March 29, 2013 beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET to April 1, 2013 at 3:00 a.m. ET April 5, 2013 beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET to April 8, 2013 at 3:00 a.m. ET These double XP weekends are lining up with the Relics of Gree event in game and gives you…
SWTOR Developer Blog March 13: Cartel Reputation
03.13.2013 – We have some updates on Cartel Reputation from the Developer Blog this week. See a snippet below: Developer Blog: Cartel Reputation In Game Update 1.7: Return of the Gree, we released our exciting Legacy Reputation System, allowing players various rewards for their interactions with many different organizations across the galaxy. Now, with Game Update 1.7.2, the nefarious Hutt Cartel wants a cut of the action. The Contraband Resale Corporation Representatives from the Contraband Resale Corporation have convinced officials from both Republic and Imperial Fleets to allow them to set-up business. The Cartel’s blockade of Makeb has created some exceptional business opportunities for everyone, including a brand new Shipment from the Cartel – the Contraband Packs. The Contraband Resale Corporation is looking for ways to reward its most frequent customers by tracking the Reputation they gain. Players increase their Reputation with the Corporation through the acquisition of the new…
SWTOR PVP Changes in Patch 2.0
As you may already know, Patch 2.0 is going to bring a variety of changes and additions to SWTOR, all meant to improve the game overall and how we as players experience it. PvP and gear are two things we expect to see some changes in. In fact, there seems to be an overall trend of new gear stats, minus the pants, and a reduction in the stats provided by mods to gear. Some secondary stats are seeing changes or tweaks and War Hero gear critical rating has been replaced with power for some classes. There are new set bonuses for level 55 gear which we can see here: Marauder/ Sentinel DPS Weaponmaster’s Gear 2pc: Reduced the cooldown of Guarded by the Force or Undying Rage by 15 seconds, also increased its duration by 1 second. Weaponmaster’s Gear 4pc: Increased all damage dealt by 10% for 5 seconds after using…
Mr. Force in Balance Fashion Show on The Harbringer
A very unique MMORPG event was held recently on The Harbringer server by Force in Balance guild- a SWTOR fashion show. It sounds like it was a lot of fun and I definitely want to know when they’re doing it again so I can try to pop on and visit. The leadership gave thanks where credit was due: *Huge thanks go out to the ladies of <Force in Balance> for putting on such an exciting event: -Vesayla -Lylah -Six -Tresse -Avelie *Here’s a shoutout to Nytraz for FRAPS-ing and Omer for DJ-ing. *And a huge and special thanks to Dulfy for serving as one of our guest judges! *Congratulations to Mr. Force in Balance 2013, Rengi! *Over 30 guild members attended this exciting event; we’re looking forward to putting on another show in the future. The first event was guild-only but due to the popularity, they plan future shows with…
Guide to Patch 2.0 Commendation Changes
As we have already been told by the devs and also seen on the PTS, Patch 2.0 is bringing changes to the game in several different ways. One of these changes will be to the commendation system of SWTOR and this has been a source of confusion for many players so we have set up this little guide to help you understand a bit better. Here is what you can expect to see from the Patch 2.0 changes: Endgame Commendations- Some changes have been made to the endgame commendations you get at level 50. These changes are similar to the planetary commendation changes (described below) and now all of the older comms will be melded into one type. Tionese, Black Hole, Columi and Daily, etc. will now all be called “Classic Commendations”. Once the patch comes out, they will be converted according to this chart: · Black Hole – 1:1…
Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher Back for ‘Star Wars’ via George Lucas
We brought you the rumor yesterday of Carrie Fisher returning to Star Wars and it seems today it was confirmed true by George Lucas. But of course, that’s not all! According to Lucas, the whole crew will be back together in the new films- Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher! The original stars of the series have previously hinted that they would be making a comeback but this is the first “official” word that it is true. Yahoo Movies reports: “”We had already signed Mark and Carrie and Harrison — or we were pretty much in final stages of negotiation. So I called them to say, ‘Look, this is what’s going on,’” Lucas told Bloomberg Businessweek when asked about whether he kept the actors in the loop about the Disney acquisition. So it looks like some of the stars had already signed on the dotted line before they even knew…
Carrie Fisher to be in New Star Wars Film
The Internet world has been buzzing about whether or not Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill (which confirmed there are talks) and Harrison Ford will return to the big screen for the next installment in the Star Wars story. In an interview with Palm Beach Illustrated, Carrie puts some of those questions to rest. When asked if she could confirm whether or not she would play the role of Princess Leia, she said “Yes.” The interview was fun (in typical Carrie fashion) and went something like this: What do you think Princess Leia is like today? Elderly. She’s in an intergalactic old folks’ home [laughs]. I just think she would be just like she was before, only slower and less inclined to be up for the big battle. And still wearing the bagel buns? The bagel buns and the bikini, because probably she has sundowners syndrome. At sundown, she thinks that she’s 20-something….
Star Wars: 1313 Development on Hold?
We’ve told you about Star Wars:1313 here in the past and have been following the production of the game to give you updates whenever possible. Well, it now seems like the development has stalled out. Will this be a temporary pause or is the whole game on shutdown? We don’t actually know right now. As Eucantina explains: The very impressive looking and possibly next-generation video game Star Wars: 1313 hasn’t been heard about since its last major showing at Star Wars Celebration VI in August. When Disney acquired Lucasfilm, and thus LucasArts, word started to spread that Disney’s video game focus would be more on casual games than AAA console titles like 1313 was shaping up to be. Some fans started to get nervous. What did this mean for 1313? Would development shift to a different developer as Disney decided how to best use LucasArts? Would the game be cancelled? It wouldn’t be the first time an anticipated Star…
BioWare Co-founder Ray Muzyka Seeking a Quieter Life
We know that Ray Muzyka, BioWare co-found and one of the “doctors” left BioWare back in September, along with Greg Zeschuk. Both said they were leaving to pursue other passions but we really didn’t have a lot of information at the time about where they were going or what they were doing. Muzyka told the Edmonton Journal that he was seeking a job that would allow him more time at home with his family and less travel. A parent myself, I can fully understand this. It really can take a toll on you and the family when you’re constantly traveling. “I was in the air probably 250 to 280 days the last couple of years,” Muzyka said. “”That was part of the reason why, after five years spent running the division of a public company, I just knew I needed to seek a new beginning and try and do something…
Community Cantina: San Francisco
Marshall Carr from TorWars attended the Community Cantina meetup in San Francisco (super cool!) and was kind enough to share the events and news with all of us. You can get the full story, along with pictures, at his blog post on TorWars but here are some highlights: It was his first Community Cantina but not his first meet and greet with BioWare There were some rockin’ costumes and prizes handed out Everyone looks like they had awesome fun without us! *sadface* The developers in attendance were the newly promoted Community Manger Eric Musco, Senior Producer Blaine Christine, and Lead Systems Designer Damion Schubert. They received Tauntaun Fawn and Kowakian Monkey Lizard pets And the most important part to those of us at home- the Q&A event If you head over to Marshall’s blog and full write-up, you can see all the questions and answers that were discussed at this…
Eric Musco Explains Differences between ROTHC and 2.0
Many players are asking what the difference between Rise of the Hutt Cartel and game update 2.0 are. Changes are coming to SWTOR, which is always a good thing, but some of this is confusing to players. Do you need to purchase ROTHC? Where is the clarification on this issue? Here, Eric Musco explains the difference: Here is a bit more clarification on the differences between Rise of the Hutt Cartel and 2.0 put as simply as I can! What subscribers will get without purchasing Rise of the Hutt Cartel: Class changes and balancing levels 1-50 Any itemization/world changes which affect levels 1-50 Legacy Achievements What subscribers will get if they do purchase Rise of the Hutt Cartel: New Operation: Scum and Villainy Nightmare Mode Terror From Beyond Upgraded level 55 Hard Mode Flashpoints Level cap increase to 55 All new Makeb storyline The new Operation and Hard Mode Flashpoints in Game Update 2.0…
Possible fix for failed character copy to SWTOR PTS
Are you having issues with doing a character copy to the PTS in SWTOR? You’re not alone if you’ve been experiencing a bug with this process but some SWTOR players have found a fix that seems to be working for everyone who tries it. Take off all of your companions’ gear and put them in cargo bay, then transfer your character. Quick and easy fix! Some players are reporting that taking off the ship’s parts may also work. If you’re getting the message “We were unable to process your requested move of characters to Public Test Server. This account has reached the 12 character maximum on the server.” Then this fix will not help you. The probably with this is when you already have characters on both the open and the closed test servers. BioWare should be fixing this one but if we come across a fix, we’ll update to…
German and French CMs for SWTOR Follow Joveth Out of BioWare
What’s happening at BioWare? We can’t be certain but it definitely doesn’t make you feel good when first Joveth left and now both Lars Malcharek and Tony Moreno, the German and French community managers for Star Wars: The Old Republic. All the SWTOR Community Managers are leaving the scene. It’s unknown at this time whether any of these mean left on their own or were let go by BioWare but we’ll probably never known since the conditions of their exit probably also included a gag order of some type. So what does it mean for the SWTOR communities in the US, Germany and France? Will this open the door to new staff members or will the already-small staff of BioWare SWTOR just continue to dwindle? If you’re curious about what all of this means, Eric Musco did stop by the forums today to leave some type of feedback: Hello JPryde, You…
SWTOR Legacy Achievement Guide
Don’t forget to check out constantly growing list of guides for Star Wars: The old republic One exciting feature coming to SWTOR in patch 2.0 is the Legacy Achievements. MMORPGs are especially prone to building these new achievements to add more to the game. It’s a popular feature, especially in games in the past 5 years or so. It’s no surprise that SWTOR has them, too but the new update will have Legacy Achievements, meaning you don’t get them on just one character but on all of your characters who share a legacy. The interface for the Legacy Achievements is found in your legacy panel right below the reputation tab. This will allow you to see your progress as you complete tasks. There are seven major categories in which you gain achievements: Companions – Each companion has three achievements to unlock that lets you gain certain amounts of affection with them….
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Movie?
Will there be a Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic movie? Many fans would be ecstatic to hear this is true but we can’t find any evidence that it’s valid. With Star Wars spinoff rumors in the mix, it’s easy to see how some could quickly believe this one might be true but Karpyshyn himself said on Twitter that he knows nothing about it. @agentjaspor @headgeek666 this would be awesome, but I haven’t heard anything about a #KOTOR movie. But I’m not at #bioware anymore so… — Drew Karpyshyn (@DrewKarpyshyn) February 23, 2013 Ain’t It Cool News, cited sources at BioWare and said that Karpyshyn was secretly working on a screenplay for a Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic feature film being developed by Lucasfilm. It’s a nice thought but doesn’t seem to be true. However, this wouldn’t be the first time a rumor was denied when it was leaked too…
SWTOR Voice Actors Video
Do you want to learn more about the voice actors who play in SWTOR? Want to see who plays what and the other previous roles they have held? You might be surprised to see some of the people taking part in SWTOR. Here’s an awesome video (you may have seen before) that shows the voice actors for each playable class. Trooper – Jennifer Hale, Brian Bloom Smuggler – Kath Soucie, Maury Sterling Jedi Consular – Athena Karkanis, Nolan North Jedi Knight – Kari Wahlgren, David Hayter Bounty Hunter – Grey DeLisle, Tom Spackman Imperial agent – Jo Wyatt, Bertie Carvel Sith Inquisitor – Xanthe Elbrick, Euan Morton Sith Warrior – Natasha Little, Mark Bazeley music used in the video: Faster Does It from Kevin MacLeod’s
BioWare Doctors to Speak on Sex and Video Games at GDC
BioWare writer David Gaider plans to tackle the issues of sex in video games at this year’s Games Developers Conference (GDC). He will be holding a talk called “Sex in Video Games”, which is explained below: Games have reached the point where realistic portrayals of sex and adult relationships are possible, but what does this mean to us as developers? How much responsibility do we have in addressing issues of sexism and sexuality, and are we inadvertently making statements about what is acceptable, even when we don’t mean to say anything at all? Our industry is struggling with a conflict between the desire to be taken seriously as an art form, and the desire to avoid addressing social issues because what we make are “just games.” These things have implications on our sales, and while they can be addressed, it can only happen if we are willing to acknowledge that…