Yesterday, Community Manager Joveth Gonzalez revealed that due to feedback ( huge an ongoing QQ’ing), Preferred Status Players will receive two extra Quickbars to use when playing Star Wars: The Old Republic. I honestly think they could have given only one extra bar and it would have made 90% of the people happy. The extra bar is just icing (yes, some will argue they never should have been restricted at all). I’m all for constructive criticism when it’s needed, but I hope people will stop and give credit when it’s due. They obviously are trying to appease the fans, while still maintaining a successful business model. As you know, we take player feedback very seriously and we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for being a part of our Free-to-Play transition. When Game Update 1.5 was on PTS, we heard your feedback and increased Quickbars for Free-to-Play Players,…
Author: Soeren Kamper
Game Update 1.6 space combat mission prview
The crew over at DarthHater have been really busy recording video footage from the upcoming Space Combat missions in Game Update 1.6 on the Public Test Server. With the footage also comes a pretty interesting Impressions article that you can read it here. Here is a snip : While we all were somewhat expecting to be underwhelmed by the new missions due to BioWare’s admission that this is not the new Super-Secret Space Project, I can say that I was even a bit more disappointed than expected by the fact that the environments themselves stayed the same. I certainly did not expect them to go all out with these new missions (eleven in total, ten playable (five per faction) as discovered in the DB “leak”) but I always hoped that they would go back and make new environments. However, it is not a deal breaker for me as I am just grateful…
Scheduled Maintenance: November 27th, 2012
Servers will be down for the first Scheduled Maintenance since patch 1.5, on november 27th 2012. Hopefully there will be lot’s of bug fixes including the Naked Hk-51’s. Hello everyone, we wanted to let you know that we will be performing scheduled maintenance for four hours on Tuesday, November 27th, 2012 from 2AM CST (12AM PST/3AM EST/8AM GMT/9AM CET/7PM AEDT) until 6AM CST (4AM PST/7AM EST/12PM GMT/1PM CET/11PM AEDT). All game servers, SWTOR.com, and the launcher will be offline during this period. This maintenance is expected to take no more than four hours, but could be extended. This maintenance is done in order to make general improvements and to check performance of the game so that we can continue to provide a consistent, quality experience. Quite often (but not always) after a maintenance period there will be a patch to download. After the maintenance, please login via the launcher to download the latest…
Public Test Server Patch Notes: Game Update 1.6
As Lisa wrote yesterday Game Update 1.6 is now on the public test servers. It’s really nice to see BioWare be true to their 6 week schedule. This also means that you can expect 1.6 to be the last patch of 2012. Check out the patch notes below: UPDATED 11/20/2012 The patch notes published for the Public Test Server are not final and are subject to change. Currently, only English notes are available, but French and German versions will be published when they are available. Highlights Ancient Hypergate, a new Warzone, is available for play! Travel to an ancient ruin built around a Gree Hypergate and battle to control the precious lost technology for your faction. New incredibly challenging Weekly [HEROIC] Space Combat missions are available! All new Grade 7 Artifact Quality Starship Upgrades are now available! Group Finder Added a new Level 50 “Introduction to Group Finder” mission to the Daily Mission…
SWTOR F2P & Future content interview with Damion Schubert
Dulfy had the opportunity to interview Lead Designer Damion Schubert regarding the F2P option launching yesterday. Dulfy was good enough to take questions from the readers of her blog. reading through the interview I found some of the most interesting key points to be: Armor dyes seems to be in the pipeline No new items to the VIP/Collectors Edition vendors Cathar race will be by purchase only Returning events (i.e. sell your rakghoul items now before the word gets out) Check out the full interview over at dulfu.net or read our small snippet below: What was the biggest challenge in converting such a massive MMO into a FTP model? It would have to be giving away as much as humanly possible to our free to play players, while still ensuring that our subscribers felt like they were getting a great value. Both populations of players are a key component to Star Wars: The Old Republic’s path forward,…
Star Wars: The Old Republic – Annihilation reviews
Not sure about getting the new Star Wars: The Old Republic book by Drew Karpyshyn yet? Well this might help you out. We have collected all the book reviews we could find around the net, so you could make a decision. Personally I found the book to be awesome, but don’t take my word for it. Check out the reviews below: Eucantina: Overall, Annihilation is an extremely fun adventure filled with some humor (like a certain character’s landing on Coruscant) and nods to the films (“I owe you one.” “The Jedi don’t keep track of such things.”). I highly recommend checking it out, even if you’re not familiar with the era. Just watch out for those video game spoilers. and gives the book 4,5 out of 5. starwarsreport.com: Surprisingly I really liked this book. I haven’t been following the Old Republic Era in the books and I have not gotten into the MMO so I didn’t…
Known Issues in Game Update 1.5 and Maintenance later today.
As it often happens after a new patch, BioWare will take down the servers for an unscheduled maintenance window starting at 2AM CDT. The team also made a forum post regarding issues that they are currently investigating. Edit: Servers are now back up. Here are the patch notes: 1.5.0a Patch Notes 11/16/2012 General The first level of Legacy experience boosts no longer grant more experience than intended. Resolved an issue that could allow consumables to not be consumed as intended. ———————- Below is a coopy/paste of all the issues. You can also follow it over at the official forums here. Hello everyone! We appreciate you joining us to play Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, and we hope you enjoy the game. As MMORPGs are large and complex projects, inevitably we do discover issues that may affect gameplay. We’re working constantly to fix anything that will affect the player experience, but for now this…
Game Update 1.5: HK-51 Activated 11/15/2012
Servers are up after a long looooong maintenance, but finally patch 1.5 is here. Can’t buy cartel coins yet, though. Currently points to http://buy.swtor.com/us/, which currently only has copies of the game for sale. Below are the patch notes: Highlights Free-to-Play is here! Players can now experience Star Wars: The Old Republic up to level 50 (with certain restrictions) without paying a subscription fee. The Cartel Market is now accessible. Players can use Cartel Coins to purchase boosts, unlocks, cosmetic items, and more! Travel to Section X on Belsavis and learn why the nefarious Dread Guard has seized control of this ravaged area of the planet! Section X can be accessed on Belsavis and via the daily mission shuttles. HK-51 can now be acquired as a Companion Character! A shipment of the infamous Assassin Droids can be found in the wreck of an Imperial transport ship, The Fatality, in Section X. Reactivating HK-51 requires finding…
Maintenance November 15 : Game Update 1.5
As we announced last week, Game Update 1.5 will launch on November 15, 2015 ( Tomorrow!). We dide’nt know the schedule for the release, but yesterday BioWare announced the maintenance window for the patch deployment, and this is going to be a long one guys. check out the full announcement on the official forums, or our copy/paste below: BioWare Hello everyone, we wanted to let you know that we will be performing scheduled maintenance for twelve hours on Thursday, November 15th, 2012 from 12AM CST (10PM PST/1AM EST/6AM GMT/7AM CET/5PM AEDT) until 12PM CST (10AM PST/1PM EST/6PM GMT/7PM CST/5AM AEDT). All game servers, SWTOR.com, and the launcher will be offline during this period. This maintenance is expected to take no more than twelve hours, but could be extended. Explore Section X, a brand new area on the prison world of Belsavis, where you will not only embark on a galaxy-wide…
Spike TVs Ink Master – Star Wars Forever episode
Today Tuesday, November 13 at 10 PM, ET/PT, nine remaining artists on Spike TV’s hit tattoo competition-reality series “Ink Master” will have to use their Jedi powers and feel the Force flowing thru them in a special “Star Wars” Forever episode. In this “Star Wars”-themed episode, the artists will be tested on their ability to use contrast in their designs, specifically the way they enhance dark and light areas and use opposing colors, forms and lines to make their tattoos bold. As always, “Ink Master” starts off with a fundamentals skill test called the Flash Challenge. In this week’s Flash Challenge, the artists must create a unique design using contrast on a Clone Trooper Helmet. All the finished helmets were displayed and auctioned off at “Star Wars” Celebration Six with all proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and as an added bonus, the winning Clone Trooper helmet was signed by…
“Star Wars Episode VII” Audition Tapes
Following up on Lisa’s Star Wars 7 Rumor Roundup from yesterday, Conan O’Brien has been running these Episode VII ‘audition tapes’ from various directors. Some of them are extremely hilarious, yet I would love to see how Lars Von trier would do a Star Wars movie. Kevin Smith: Woody Allen: Wes Anderson Michael Moore: Todd Philip and my favorite the Infamous horror director Tom Six, make of one of the most absurde movies ever The Human Centipede:
Cartel Coin Reward Program Extended
BioWare announced that former subscribers coming back to Star Wars: The old republic to try thee Free To Play version of the game, have until December 20th to re subscribe and still obtain their Cartel Coin rewards! Check out the full announcement below: Today we are excited to announce that the global launch date of the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Free-to-Play option will be November 15, 2012. This release will be simultaneous across all of the territories and countries The Old Republic™ is available. If you’re a paying Subscriber at the launch of the Free-to-Play option on November 15th, you will be granted all of the Complimentary Cartel Coins currently listed on your Cartel Coin Ledger page, plus a one-time grant of 250 Complimentary Cartel Coins! Additionally, we are extending the Rewards Program! All former subscribers who reactivate their subscription by the new date of December 20, 2012 at…
Developer Update: Free-to-Play Option by Damion Schubert
With Free-to-Play going live later this month, Lead Designer
Developer Dispatch: HK-51 Activated
BioWare have released a new Developer Dispatch regarding the upcoming contents that will be added to the game with update 1.5. In the video, Associate Designer Matt Pucevich and Senior Development Director Bruce Maclean talk about Explosive Conflict Nightmare Mode, the new Section X daily mission area, aswell as the new world boss + phat lewt. Check it out below: Check out the latest Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Developer Dispatch to get a first look at the story behind Game Update 1.5: HK-51 Activated. Watch as they discuss the dangerous missions that await you in the new Section X area on Belsavis. Discover how you can embark on a galaxy-spanning hunt for clues on how to unlock one of the most deadly Assassin Droids, the HK-51 Companion! Take a sneak peak at the final pieces of the Dread Guard gear set and see a rare new mount that your…
New Developer Blog: Jeff Hickman Discusses State of the Game
Executive Producer Jeff Hickman took the stage yesterday in a new developer blog titled: State of the Game. In this, and future blog posts he will be discussing concerns the community has with SWTOR. In this first blog he addresses issues such as the turning from a subscription based game to free to play model, aswell as staff leaving the company and bugs in game. Check out his full post on the official site or as a copy paste below: Jeff Hickman When we decided to go Free-to-Play earlier this year, we had weeks of discussion with everyone on the team about where we thought the game was going, what we thought was going right and what was going wrong. We uncovered a lot of issues, but three things really stood out: 1. Our game is awesome. People love it and want to play it. 2. The subscription requirement was driving away huge numbers of people who do not want to…
Community Cantina Tour – Austin, TX
BioWare is continuing there road trip, and this time the event bus hit’s Austin Texas. Below are the Austin information. We’re happy to announce that the next stop in the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Community Cantina Tour will be happening on Friday, November 16th here in Austin, home of the game’s development team! This is your chance to join the community for a development team Q&A as well as complimentary drinks*, food, and giveaways including highly coveted codes for an in-game Tauntaun Fawn! If you’re in the area, make sure to stop by and hang out with us! Venue: Mister Tramps Date: Friday, November 16th, 2012 Time: 7-10PM CST Address: 8565 Research Blvd Austin, TX 78758 We look forward to seeing you there! -The Star Wars: The Old Republic Community Team * THIS IS AN ADULT EVENT AND ALL ATTENDEES MUST BE OF LEGAL DRINKING AGE TO PARTICIPATE. PLEASE…
TOR TV: Video Guide to Voiced Emotes on the PTS
The guys over at swtorface.com created a short video showing all the voiced slash commands currently available on the public test server. This is slash commands like /apologize /cheer, /chuckle, etc etc etc. It’s apparently not complete yet, as it is possible to find more sound files when you data mine the client. In this video you can listen to (and see the actions of) Smuggler, Jedi Knight, Trooper, Bounty Hunter and Imperial Agent SwtorFace will be updating this as more commands become available. You can follow there progress here.
TOR TV: Darkness Assassin solo Black Talon Hard mode (speed run)
Chaori, the guy who solo killed Darth Malgus a while back, is back with a new show off video were he solos The Black Talon in Hard mode. His biggest issue when soloing is tanking through enrages surviving long enough to finish them. So if your interested in getting some phat lewt, I think a tank/healer combo would be able to do this without much difficulty. It’s still a pretty damn awesome that Chaori did this by him self though. His gear: Full min-maxed Campaign with 3 piece Dread Guard. Talos (healer comp) is full BH/Campaign
Developer Blog: Technical Changes in Game Update 1.5
I apologize we are late with this one, but the fact that I live in Denmark, and BioWare have a habit of sending out news when we I sleep, it some times make it hard to keep up. Anyways, enough QQ for now! BioWare’s Technical Artist Ben Cloward, posted a new developer blog yesterday, informing the community about large technical changes coming with Game Update 1.5. It’s actually quite interesting that the team use so much energy optimizing the Hero Engine. When Patch 1.5 launches the flora an fauna in the game is going to be more realistic. Instead of looking solid and therefore unnaturally dark when viewed against the sun, players with their Shader Complexity set to high will notice that leaves and grass will be moderately translucent, allowing sunlight to filter through them.
1.4.3 Patch Notes 10/30/2012
Servers are back up, and BioWare released a new patch. it’s unknown of this will be the last patch before the release of patch 1.5. Still it’s good to see a fair few fixes in this patch. Biggest deal is probably the increase in rewards for story mode EC that Jesse Sky posted about a few days ago. There’s also a warzone fix that could have been what has been preventing people from getting into warzones recently. Classes and Combat Jedi Knight General The visual effects for Awe display more quickly to better match the ability’s effect. Flashpoints and Operations Flashpoints Cademimu Riding the taxi in this Flashpoint no longer causes a client crash. Operations [WEEKLY] Galactic Operations now rewards 15 Black Hole Commendations (up from 8). [WEEKLY] Galactic Crisis Points now rewards 20 Black Hole Commendations (up from 8). [WEEKLY] Deadly Operations now rewards 10 Black Hole Commendations. Explosive Conflict Warlord Kephess…
Game Update 1.5 PTS Patch Notes 10/29/2012
BioWare have updated the public test servers with a new patch. It’s clear we are getting closer and closer to the release of patch 1.5 and the Free to Play version of the game. We are still not quite there yet though, so today’s normal server maintenance won’t bring it to the live servers. That’s alright though. I think we all want the most polished free to play version of the game as possible. Up until release you also get to play around with the Cartel Market on PTS. for a while yet. Below are the patch notes: The patch notes published for the Public Test Server are not final and are subject to change. The Public Test Server Patch Notes will be provided in English. The final release notes will be provided in English, French, and German when the content is moved to live servers. Cartel Market and Free-to-Play Prices on some Cartel Market Items have been adjusted…
Blaine Christine answers questions regarding Free To Play
Senior Producer Blaine Christine took on the forums today, to answer questions regarding the upcoming Free to Play system, implemented into Star Wars: The old republic. BioWare have neem coellecting questions from the community the last week and now we get some more answers. The full Q&A can be found at the official forums, or as a copy/ past below: Hi folks! Now that the Cartel Market has hit the Public Test Server, we wanted to open up this thread to give you the opportunity to ask any lingering Free-to-Play questions that you may have. After we’ve collected your questions, Sr. Producer Blaine Christine will try to answer as many as he can. Please be sure to be respectful and courteous and also remember to report any Cartel Market issues on the PTS thread. Thanks! Update: As promised, Sr. Producer Blaine Christine has taken time out of his crazy schedule to answer some of your Free-to-Play questions!…
Scheduled Maintenance October 30
This week’s scheduled maintenance will occur tomorrow on Tuesday, October 30 from 2AM CDT to 8AM CDT. SWTOR servers will be down during this period while a patch will be deployed. When the servers come back up, we’ll have the patch notes available here. Check out the original forum post here or below: Hello everyone, we wanted to let you know that we will be performing scheduled maintenance for eight hours on Tuesday, October 30th, 2012 from 2AM CDT (12AM PDT/3AM EDT/7AM GMT/8AM CET/6PM AEDT) until 10AM CDT (8AM PDT/11AM EDT/3PM GMT/4PM CET/2AM AEDT). All game servers will be offline during this period. This maintenance is expected to take no more than eight hours, but could be extended.
TOR TV: In depth with the prices of items on the Cartel Market
The guys over at Sith Talk, made a video showing what’s going on at the public test server right now. This video goes in depth with the prices of items on the Cartel Market and the Legacy unlocks both per character and Legacy wide unlocks. As well as a few things new players will see as they create characters and what they may want to buy.