Darth Sion, also known as the Lord of Pain, is one of the most intriguing and terrifying Sith Lords in the Star Wars universe. Known for his unique ability to sustain his life through sheer willpower and the dark side of the Force, Darth Sion’s story is a tragic tale of suffering, hatred, and the relentless pursuit of power. In this article, we will explore the life of Darth Sion, his role in the Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (KOTOR II), and his enduring legacy in Star Wars lore. Chapter 1: The Origins of Darth Sion From a Warrior to the Lord of Pain Darth Sion’s story begins in a place of pain—literally. Before he became known as the Lord of Pain, Sion was a Sith warrior whose life was defined by suffering. Unlike the glamorous or powerful origins of other Sith Lords, Sion’s beginnings were…
Author: Soeren Kamper
While we wait for The Old Republic: I.M.P.S – The Relentless: Chapter 2
At long last, we have Chapter Two! And, as many others have commented, it was WELL worth the wait. Once more, Blacksheep has reminded us why they are considered Legends in the Fan Film universe, so much so that no one was ever truly willing to give ’em hell over the time between productions, for in the end their brilliance would shine through. And so it has. On behalf of Star Wars fans across the globe as well as Imperial Loyalists, I salute and thank you, sirs. Here’s to Chapter Three on the distant horizon! P.S. Anychance you guys would be willing to put in some face, or rather voice, time with Jason Swank and Jimmy Mac over at the Force-Cast? It would be awesome to get some verbal behind the scenes info as well as plans for the future. Watch in HD Who made this? The Primary Responsible Parties…
While we wait for The Old Republic: I.M.P.S – The Relentless: Chapter 1
Is this the long awaited “TROOPS 2?” Originally this project was to be the sequel to “Troops” but over the course of writing and production, it evolved into something entirely different. “”Troops2” was the working title of the production until the script was completed, and the project assembled. Chapter 1 of IMPS, “The Rail-Runners – Davenport Gateway” acts as a bridge to take us from the ‘COPS’ format to the soldiers of the many branches of the Imperial military. Since the military does actually act as peace officers in many cases, we thought it would be appropriate. As we delve into further Chapters, and the men and women who work as Imperial soldiers, we seek to learn who these characters are, how they came to be here, and what their responsibilities are, etc. This is why we now call it I.M.P.S. – The Relentless. Who made this? The Primary Responsible…
Developer Dispatch 5: Designing the Dark Side
Inspired by notorious characters such as Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, the Sith Inquisitor and Sith Warrior take different approaches to their rise to power. The Sith Warrior achieves victory through pure aggression and might while the Sith Inquisitor excels by cunning ambition and Force manipulation. From storyline, to art style, to combat tactics, each design decision was made to support the dark side themes of power, domination, and destruction. Watch Developer Dispatch: Designing the Dark Side, and learn how Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ developers created this dominating force.
While we wait for The Old Republic: Troops
Troops is a mockumentary film by Kevin Rubio, which made its debut on the Internet in 1997. The film is a parody of COPS, set in the Star Wars universe. In the film, Imperial stormtroopers from the infamous Black Sheep Squadron patrolling the Dune Sea on the planet Tatooine run into some very familiar characters while being filmed for the hit Imperial TV show Troops. The film jump-started the modern fan film movement, as it was one of the first short films to bring fan films into the digital age, taking advantage of internet distribution and affordable production and special effects equipment, as well as fans with movie-quality costumes. Rubio finished the film while working at the Fox Kids Network, and was able to use well-known voice talent in his cast, including Jess Harnell, Cam Clarke, and announcer Bill Farmer. The film has proven incredibly popular with Star Wars fans,…
Planets of TOR: Korriban
Korriban, originally known as Pesegam during the reign of Xim, was the sole planet in the Horuset system, located across the galaxy from Koros Major. It was the original homeworld of the Sith species and a sacred planet for the Sith Order, housing the tombs for many ancient and powerful Dark Lords of the Sith, and containing tremendous dark side power. After the Hundred Year Darkness, the remaining Dark Jedi interbred with the Sith species and ruled the Sith using their Force powers. After the Great Hyperspace War, Korriban was abandoned and became a barren world. It was the site of two Sith Academies, and became the headquarters of the One Sith. It was close to Bosthirda and was located on the Nache Bhelfia and Kamat Krote hyperspace lanes. History Infinite Empire This remote, forbidding planet was the original homeworld of the Sith species. The Rakata invaded Korriban in an…
Know your lore: Carth Onasi
Carth Onasi is a beloved character from the Star Wars universe, particularly known for his role in Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR). A skilled pilot, devoted soldier, and complex individual, Carth has captured the hearts of fans with his loyalty, tragic backstory, and deep sense of duty. In this article, we’ll explore Carth Onasi’s journey from his early days in the Republic Navy to his involvement in KOTOR, his legacy in The Old Republic, and his appearances in other Star Wars media. Chapter 1: The Origins of Carth Onasi Carth Onasi wasn’t born into a family of powerful Jedi or wealthy politicians. No, his story starts on Telos IV, a planet that would eventually become synonymous with tragedy for Carth. But back in his early days, Telos was just home—a place where he grew up with a strong sense of duty and a belief that it was the responsibility…
IGN’s Star Wars: The Old Republic Clichés
There’s a brief article over on IGN looking at the Star Wars clichés that The Old Republic has to have to be a truly authentic Star Wars experience. The article is clearly tongue-in-cheek and is as such a fun read. Here’s an excerpt: Affirmative Action: The Republic has always been a leader in providing good jobs to non-Basic speaking races and shown particular acceptance to those races who mangle the language by confusing word order or inserting an annoying “sa” at the end of every pronoun. This tolerance even extends to droids who communicate through a sophisticated system of beeping and shoving. All the human player characters will be required to have at least one non-human or droid sidekick that doesn’t speak any Basic but is still able to understand and be understood by everyone else in the game. To keep these sidekicks in their proper place as defined by…
While we wait for The Old Republic: Duality
Duality is one of the most popular Star Wars fan films ever made. It was quite an acheivement in it’s time, and is still regarded as a model of achievement for the quality of the CG work in the film. The film was filmed entirely against a blue screen at Alamo films. Duality was made as a follow-up project to Duel, and has even sired a parody call Two-ness. The story is basically this: two Sith apprentices are set against each other as a final test to determine which one will serve at their master’s side. And so it is that Darth Oz watches as Darth Blight and Lord Rive battle to the death….. The script was first written by Mark Thomas, with Dave Macomber devising the fight. Filming took place at Alamo Studios in Santa Barbara, California in September of 2000. A teaser trailer was released in November 2000,…
The Sands of Tatooine + Threat of Peace, Issue #22
In another big news in what seems to be end endless series of them it seems that BioWare Austin have decided to include the most boring and over-used planet in the entire Star Wars setting in the MMO as well, namely Tatooine. And the planet they promised to unveil today happens to be that one. Great. They also have a comic, which I must admit having lost all interest in as well (in my opinion it’s drawn badly and the story doesn’t seem to go anywhere). Anyway, here’s the official news: The twenty-second issue of Threat of Peace™ takes us to the long-abandoned Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, where Lieutenant Tavus meets the true culprit behind the efforts to undermine the peace treaty. It seems Master Dar’Nala survived her Imperial captivity after all, and everything that’s happened since has been all part of her plan. Despite his doubts, Lieutenant Tavus agrees…
The Audio of Star Wars: The Old Republic
Over at Darth Hater they have an interview with some of the LucasArts guys responsible for the sounds and music in Star Wars: The Old Republic. The interview is split into three part; music, sound fxs and voiceovers. Here’s an excerpt: DH: The original score by John Williams became an integral part of Star Wars culture. How did the audio team approach creating new pieces with such iconic shoes to fill? JH: We’ve assembled a team of composers for The Old Republic who are all well-versed in the language of John Williams. Mark Griskey, whose previous Star Wars work includes both KOTOR II and The Force Unleashed, is returning as our lead composer on the project. Joining him are composers Lennie Moore, Gordy Haab, and Wilbert Roget, II. Lennie comes to us with a diverse background in games, TV, and film. Gordy recently worked with us on Indiana Jones and…
Planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic – Balmorra
Balmorra was a factory world that was located within the Nevoota system, situated in the Colonies region at the border of the Core Worlds. Wide plains surrounded the planet’s capital, Bin Prime. Balmorran metal parasites feasted on metals in the urban areas of Balmorra. During the settlement of Balmorra, while the Republic was still in its infancy, Balmorra quickly established itself as a haven for renouned weapon and battle droid manufacturers. While determined to remain independent of the Republic, they became strong alllies supplying the Republic and the greater galaxy with advanced droids and weapons. Republic era During the Great Galactic War the Sith Empire resolved to seize Balmorra due to their military manufacturing plants and strategic location close to the Core Worlds. The Republic immediately sent soldiers to prevent that from happening. As the Great Galactic War continued and the Sith Empire’s control continued to spread, the strained republic…
An Inside Look at Star Wars: The Old Republic
GameSpy has a preview article up for Star Wars: The Old Republic. This looks to be from the November press event where they unveiled the Jedi Consular and the Sith Inquisitor (and the Imperial Agent IIRC). Here’s an excerpt: Before delving into the gameplay demo proper, BioWare unveiled the final list of classes. The approach that the developers are taking with class design eschews the traditional roles you’ve seen in most MMOs, where a balanced party is comprised of an aggro-generating tank, damage-dealers, and a healer. Instead, the intent is to allow players to live out their Star Wars fantasies, presenting familiar but flexible character archetypes. The eight playable classes are as follows, with noteworthy inspirations from the Star Wars universe. It’s a fairly brief article without anything new that I’ve noticed. In fact, some of their points are questionable (such as their list of iconic characters with each class;…
Star Wars: Force Unleashed II trailer
In non Star Wars: The Old Republic related news, the game industry announced lots of new projects at the Vidoe Game Awards, including a sequel to one of the most successful Star Wars games ever – “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed”. The Story in “The Force Unleashed 2″, takes place between Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope.
While we wait for The Old Republic: Broken Allegiance
Broken Allegiance is a fan film that made its debut on the internet in April 2002, created by Australian fans of the Star Wars franchise. It is a live-action drama set in the Star Wars universe, taking place a few weeks between the events in A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. It tells the story of two Sith apprentices, Ruan and Calis, who have escaped the Empire by fleeing Coruscant in a stolen transport. They must fight for their freedom when Darth Vader sends the vicious bounty hunter Korbain Thor to track them down. The film started pre-production in January 2001, and was shot both in studio and on locations around Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Broken Allegiance cost approximately $5,000 AUD to make, mostly spent on raw materials for sets, props, costumes, catering and equipment rental to make the film. The film was made entirely with volunteer cast…
GameSpot Sith Inquisitor Hands-On
Though they already posted an earlier article talking about the press conference (where the Jedi Consular and Sith Inquisitor were unveiled) GameSpot has posted another hands-on article. Here’s an excerpt: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, game developer BioWare, a studio founded by two medical doctors on the foundations of nerdy swords-and-sorcery role-playing, made the jump to deep space with Knights of the Old Republic, a Star Wars-themed role-playing game that told a story that predated the events of the motion pictures by several centuries. Some years later, the developer is now working on a massively multiplayer online game in the same universe–a game that will let you play as a Boba Fett-like bounty hunter, a Han Solo-like smuggler, or a Mace Windu-like Jedi Knight…among others. We recently had a chance to get a bit more insight on the game from its developers, and we also…
Sith Inquisitor Class Reveal
The eighth and final (not counting any possible expansions and whatnot) class reveal, the Sith Inquisitor: The history of the Sith Empire is fraught with scheming politics and dark secrets—the lifeblood of the Sith Inquisitor. Treachery hides around every corner in the Empire’s dark corridors, and survival depends on an individual’s natural cunning and the will to manipulate and defeat enemies and allies alike. The Inquisitor experiments with forbidden powers to not only survive in this cutthroat environment, but to excel and seize authority. Access the latest HoloNet entry now to see a full profile of the Sith Inquisitor, including footage displaying the destructive powers of the dark side! Also, be sure to visit the Media section to get downloadable screenshots, concepts, and wallpapers! And wallpapers as well:
The Phantom Menace: A Hilariously Scathing Review by Mr. Plinkett
Remember back in 1999 when we were all buzzing with excitement for the new Star Wars movie? The Phantom Menace was supposed to be our big, nostalgic trip back to that galaxy far, far away. But oh boy, did it miss the mark! Fast forward to 2009, and it feels like the disappointment has only fermented, turning into a rich blend of confusion and frustration. Enter Mr. Plinkett, the internet’s latest hero, who just dropped a review of The Phantom Menace that is as funny as it is brutally honest. Who Is Mr. Plinkett? If you haven’t yet met Mr. Plinkett, you’re in for a treat. He’s the alter ego of Mike Stoklasa from RedLetterMedia, and he’s become famous for his in-depth, hilariously dark movie reviews. Plinkett is this creepy old guy with a deadpan voice and a twisted sense of humor, and he’s exactly the person we needed to…
Planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic – Ord Mantell
Ord Mantell was a planet in the Bright Jewel Cluster. It was located near Anobis in the Mid Rim. It was originally settled in 12,000 BBY as an Ordnance/Regional Depot. Geography Ord Mantell was known as the Heart of the Bright Jewel since it orbited the blue star Bright Jewel at the center of the Bright Jewel system. The planet was famous for its thick, outer cometary cloud, which glowed with a pinkish cast when viewed from space, ensuring its place as the site of the Blockade Runners Derby for nearly 100 years. Two large moons and thirteen other satellites orbited the planet (to which was added the Jubilee Wheel), and the cloud cover was tinged with pink when viewed from the planet’s surface. This collection of natural wonders made Ord Mantell something of a tourist attraction, despite its seedier side. It was also the homeworld of the Mantellian Savrips…
Star Wars Rarities: The Star Wars Holiday Special
The Star Wars Holiday Special is a two-hour television special (including commercials) set in the Star Wars galaxy. It was the first official Star Wars spinoff produced. It was directed by Steve Binder. It was broadcast in its entirety in the United States only once, on Friday, November 17, 1978 on CBS-TV from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (EST). In the story, Chewbacca and Han Solo visit Kashyyyk, Chewbacca’s home world, to celebrate Life Day. Along the way, they are pursued by agents of the Galactic Empire who are searching for rebels on the planet. The special introduces three members of Chewbacca’s family: his father Attichitcuk, his wife Mallatobuck, and his son Lumpawarrump. The main storyline of the film, which occurs two years after the Battle of Yavin (2 ABY), takes place on Kashyyyk. During the film, scenes also take place in outer space and in spacecraft…
Jedi Consular Class Reveal + Threat of Peace, Issue #21
It seems that today we get one class reveal, with the last one seemingly reserved for in a week or two. But first, they also have another issue of the comic. Here’s the official news: The twenty-first issue of Threat of Peace™ begins with Lord Angral returning to Korriban in full fury. Based on the message from Master Dar’Nala, Angral accuses Lord Baras of secretly ordering the recent attacks. Meanwhile on Dantooine, Jedi Knight Satele Shan reacts to the accusations against Baras with surprise and skepticism Check out the latest issue of Threat of Peace now. So next is the official class reveal. Here’s the official news: Channeling the power of the Force for strength and wisdom, the Consulars of the Jedi Order cut to the truth of any complicated situation as cleanly as their double-bladed Lightsabers cut down an army of Imperial foes. Whether unlocking long forgotten mysteries of…
SWTOR video interview covers final two classes and more
The guys at Giant Bomb have thrown up a ten minute long video interview with BioWare’s Blaine Christine that covers topics ranging from details on the Jedi Consular and Sith Inquisitor to how companion characters work in grouping situations. Much of the new info is blended into stuff that’s already been covered, but it servers as a nice refresher course on Star Wars: The Old Republic with some new stuff peppered in for good measure. More than anything else, it sounds like the Consular and Inquisitor are support classes with some offensive capability. The notion makes a lot of sense, considering the Trooper and Bounty Hunter likely perform quite well as ranged DPS classes. Of course, until BioWare begins revealing specific abilities of the classes the best we can do is guess.
December 3rd Information Extravaganza
And as I predicted there’s a lot more articles from the press event that BioWare held in November. But instead of quoting each one of them here I’ll just refer to Sean’s post: As some of you already know, we had two press events last month; one in Europe and one in the United States. Today, articles from various websites (and magazines) are being released based on information collected at these two events. We will keep a list of the articles and update this post as new ones arise. G4 Quote: Star Wars: The Old Republic Hands-On Preview BioWare has just released Dragon Age: Origins… Mass Effect 2 is on the horizon… but there’s a third game in development at the RPG mega-studio and it is none other than Star Wars: The Old Republic, the company’s foray into the MMORPG genre. X-Play’s Matt Keil recently got to check out the…
SW:TOR in Total PC Gaming UK Magazine
I went to buy my Christmas cards today and as I walked past the magazine rack in the store I noticed that one magazine had “Exclusive Star Wars the Old Republic” in big, bold letters on the cover, on top of an image of a Jedi that I hadn’t seen before. Picking up the magazine (which turned out to be “Total PC Gaming”) found that it had a five-page preview (not counting the title page). And since it includes the last two classes it’s definitely new. So I bought the magazine. The magazine comes with a DVD containing screenshots and videos of the game (some 45minutes worth), but it’s nothing you haven’t already seen. All the screenshots can be found on the official website as well (a number of them fairly old in fact). The videos consist of the cinematic trailer from E3, the gameplay walkthrough from CamesCom and the…