New PTS Patch is Available. It’s about 850 mb big. It includes lots of quality of life changes, and tons of other stuff. Below are the patch notes: PTS Update Notes – April 2nd, 2015 | 04.02.2015, 10:05 AM Hey everyone! We are working to get the newest PTS build open and available, and it should be up in an hour or two. Until then, here are the notes! -Tait General The cooldown on the Quick Travel ability has been reduced. For Subscribers and Preferred players the cooldown is now 6 minutes, and for Free-To-Play players the cooldown is now 26 minutes. The Legacy Travel I, II, and III unlocks now reduce the cooldown of the Quick Travel ability by 2 additional minutes each, down to 0. The cooldown on the Emergency Fleet Pass ability has been reduced. For Subscribers and Preffered players the cooldown is now 90 minutes, and…
Author: Soeren Kamper
Will Somebody Make a Star Wars Slot Machine Please?
Movie themed slots are nothing new in the online gaming industry. Software companies and casinos alike are constantly trying to innovate by making partnerships with famous movie / video game companies for exclusive rights to famous characters and brands. These partnerships are great for players as well since they will get to enjoy playing their favorite slots within a well defined and well beloved movie universe. Star Wars is definitely one of the largest and most beloved sci-fi properties out there and with a legacy that spends decades you would be hard pressed not to want to play a casino game which is using that setting and characters. The first to capitalize on the idea was IGT Slots – the largest slots provider in the US for land based casinos. They have been operating for a very long time and have a huge selection of available games with themes that range from your regular cherry /…
New Dev Post – 3.2 PTS Feedback Communiqué
System Designer John Jarynowski took on the forums to address some of the Patch 3.2 feedback regarding class balance. Fine members of the galactic community, Just wanted to pop up and thank you all for the continued feedback. We are testing many of your ideas presently. Even if some of these changes do not come around in this patch cycle, we are archiving community perspectives/ideas for future updates. To help curb some continued points of contention that I’ve seen, I’d like to address two particular areas: 1) Many of you are concerned about melee viability against bosses in various Flashpoints and Operations. We have all heard your cries, and I know that our Encounter Designers are actively assessing improvement strategies. That aside, I want to clarify that we, the Combat Team, will not reconfigure an entire class or Discipline around a single boss encounter. While we continually work to improve…
SWTOR PTS Update: Armor Weight Restrictions removed from Outfit Designer
Tait Watson posted an update from the public test servers. BioWare will be removing armor weight restrictions from the upcoming Outfit Designer. As we understand it, this will mean that light armor classes can now wear heavy armor etc in the outfit designer and heavy armor classes can wear light armor. Check it out: Outfit designer still obeys class/armor restrictions | 03.30.2015, 05:41 PM Hey everyone, We were able to get the change to armor weight restrictions implemented, and it will be available on the PTS with the bug fix build that is going live today. -Tait PTS Update – March 30th, 2015 | 03.30.2015, 05:43 PM Hey folks! We will be taking down the PTS shortly in order to apply a small bug fix patch. As we don’t note bug fixes on PTS builds, no notes will accompany this update. However, I do want to point out that the…
SWTOR Double XP this Weekend March 27-30
BioWare is launching a surprise double XP weekend right now until march 30.: FROM STORY MISSIONS TO PVP WARZONES, ADVANCE AT DOUBLE THE SPEED! Get Double XP from March 27 – 30 during the following times: • STARTS: Friday, March 27, 2015 11AM PDT / 6PM GMT • ENDS: Monday, March 30, 2015 12AM PDT / 7AM GMT Enjoy Double XP this weekend! Achieve even faster gains with XP Boosts, available in the Cartel market. Level 60 players can also earn double Legacy XP – jump in now!
SWTOR Outfit Designer Restrictions
Tait Watson posted an update on the offocial forums regarding Outfit Designer restrictions. BioWaer is still mproving the Outfit Designer and will add in some of the requested features after 3.2 Outfit designer still obeys class/armor restrictions | 03.25.2015, 04:02 PM Hey everyone, We think having the Outfit Designer ignore armor weight restrictions is a great idea! We are actively exploring changing this now, and I’ll let you know as soon as I know anything else. I’ve also seen the mention of weapons and Companions being included in the Outfit Designer. Even though it may not seem like it, adding an Outfit Designer tab for Companions would effectively be creating a new system. Due to this we won’t be implementing one for 3.2, but will look into the option for a future release. Similarly, adding the ability to stamp weapons would require a lot of changes to the backend of…
New member of the Austin Community team: Nick Avola
Meet the newest member of the Bioware Austin Community team Nick Avola. He’s Holding a Thermal Detonator! Hey all! I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself as the newest member of the Bioware Austin Community team. My name is Nick Avola, and I have the daunting (yet exciting) task of playing third fiddle on a team directly involved in all areas of our games from player feedback, to design considerations, to promotions, to communications, you name it. Much of my time will be spent scouring the forums, blogisphere, and social media platforms to track community sentiment on a day-to-day basis. Ill be consolidating your comments and concerns into detailed reports, which will be disseminated regularly amongst the Community, Development, Leadership, and other key teams here at BioWare Austin. The sooner your feedback reaches the eyes and ears of senior staffers, the more accurately and effectively we can respond…
Changes to the Cartel Market — Tuesday March 24 -31 2015
Here are the weekly cartel market items on sale for the week of Feb 24 – Mar 04 2015. New Items Price Helpful links HYPERCRATE: MASTER’S SHADOW PACKS 5400 MASTER’S SHADOW PACK 250 Price Change Old Price New Price Percent Change Normal Price Helpful links 30-DAY STARFIGHTER PASS 360 720 +100% 720 VX-9 REDEEMER 1080 1800 +66% 1800 VX-9 MAILOC 1080 1800 +66% 1800 G-X1 ONSLAUGHT 1080 1800 +66% 1800 G-X1 FIREHAULER 1080 1800 +66% 1800 TZ-24 ENFORCER 1080 1800 +66% 1800 TZ-24 GLADIATOR 1080 1800 +66% 1800 LEGACY UNLOCK: RATTATAKI 600 300 –50% 450 LEGACY UNLOCK: MIRIALAN 600 300 –50% 450 CELEBRATION MISHAP 400 200 –50% 300 KICK BALL 400 200 –50% 300 UNDERWORLD ESSENTIALS BUNDLE 700 280 –60% 490 IMPERIAL ESSENTIALS BUNDLE 500 225 –55% 428 REPUBLIC ESSENTIALS BUNDLE 500 225 –55% 428
Game Update 3.2: Rise of the Emperor PTS Patch Notes
The public test servers have been updated. Here are the PTS patch notes for Game Update 3.2: Rise of the Emperor. All content and features on the Public Test Server are not final and are subject to change: Game Update 3.2: Rise of the Emperor Unleashed from hiding on Yavin 4, the former Sith Emperor has struck the Imperial world of Ziost. Using his immense power in the dark side of the Force, he has dominated the minds of the planet’s martial forces–as well as an elite cadre of militaristic Jedi–and has set them against the populace, engaging in a bloody slaughter. Lana Beniko of Sith Intelligence and SIS Agent Theron Shan are attempting to reach out to their Imperial and Republic allies, respectively, with details on the quickly escalating crisis in the heart of the Empire. Highlights New Planet: Ziost! The Imperial planet Ziost is the focal point of an escalating…
SWTOR Season 4 Ranked PvP Rewards
BioWare just announced the complete SWTOR season 4 ranked PvP rewards. Season 4 will end on April 28, 2015. The culmination of Season 4 is fast approaching so batten down the hatches! The end of Season 4 will come with Game Update 3.2 and your rating, when the servers come down for the update, will determine which tier you are in and what rewards you receive. The higher your tier the more booty you will plunder! Just like in previous seasons, the Highest Earned rating that determines the tier you are in – not Current – so no need to feel like you are risking Rating by going after the next tier up! To see your Highest Earned Rating, check the Warzone Rating and Stats page in the Warzone Queue GUI. Please note that the Rating displayed on the Leaderboards are the Current Ratings, not Highest Earned. Once Season 4 has…
Changes to the Cartel Market — Tuesday March 17 -24 2015
Here are the weekly cartel market items on sale for the week of Feb 24 – Mar 04 2015. Items No Longer Available Helpful links SOLUS SECANT Price Change Old Price New Price Percent Change Normal Price Helpful links WEEKLY PASS: OPERATIONS 180 240 +33% 240 WEEKLY PASS: WARZONES 180 240 +33% 240 APPEARANCE MODIFICATION STATION 55 110 +100% 110 APPEARANCE OPTIONS: HUMAN HAIRSTYLES 1 120 240 +100% 240 CYBER ASSAULT CANNON 360 600 +66% 600 UNLOCK: ADDITIONAL LEGACY STRONGHOLD STORAGE BAY 450 750 +66% 750 GALACTIC TRADE NETWORK (WALL) 90 120 +33% 120 30-DAY STARFIGHTER PASS 720 360 –50% 540 VX-9 REDEEMER 1800 1080 –40% 1440 VX-9 MAILOC 1800 1080 –40% 1440 G-X1 ONSLAUGHT 1800 1080 –40% 1440 G-X1 FIREHAULER 1800 1080 –40% 1440 TZ-24 ENFORCER 1800 1080 –40% 1440 TZ-24 GLADIATOR 1800 1080 –40% 1440 swtorcartel.com has changed since the last cartel market update: Rolled out new UI…
SWTOR Developer Livestream on March 20 on Patch 3.2
The SWTOR developers over at BioWare will be holding a livestream on March 20 to discuss the upcoming Patch 3.2 and Ziost. SWTOR Developer Live Stream – March 20th | 03.17.2015, 03:01 PM Hey folks! I wanted to give you the details of our next live stream: When: Friday, March 20th from 3PM-4PM CDT Where: www.twitch.tv/swtor Who: Bruce Maclean, Michael Backus, and myself What: We are going to to talk about the story coming to Ziost and what is coming in Game Update 3.2. (no spoilers!) I hope to see you there! -eric
Torhead is Closing due to Lack of Traffic
Amy Lanam, Content Manager of ZAM Network, just announced that TorHead will be closing down due to lack of traffic. This will be hard on fan sites, as most scroll over links you see actually came from torhead. It’s a shame that SWTOR don’t have a an open data system as in WOW, then this will not have happend. It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce we will be closing down Torhead. A recent analysis of our sites has shown that Torhead’s traffic doesn’t justify the work it needs to keep it a quality site. The closure is slated to happen sometime after March 19, 2015. Thank you for your support, your passion, your persistence, and your loyalty. I hope you’ll stick with ZAM as we continue to forge new tools for gamers.
SWTOR PTS Update Notes 3.1.2 Build #3
BioWare is updating the Public test servers. Here are the PTS Patch Notes for the March 13 patch: 3/13/15 PTS Update Notes | 03.13.2015, 08:46 AM Combat Changes Jedi Consular Sage The damage dealt by Forcequake has been reduced. Forcequake now consumes 60 Force (down from 120) over the duration of the channel (3 seconds, down from 6 seconds). Additionally, the snare on targets damaged by Forcequake has been removed. Balance Targets affected by Force Suppression now receive 15% additional damage (up from 10%) from your next 15 periodic damage abilities. Shadow Serenity Targets can no longer suffer from the periodic effects of Mind Crush and Vanquish simultaneously. Sith Inquisitor Sorcerer The damage dealt by Force Storm has been reduced. Force Storm now consumes 60 Force (down from 120) over the duration of the channel (3 seconds, down from 6 seconds). Additionally, the snare on targets damaged by Force Storm…
SWTOR Additional 3.1.1 Patch Notes
BioWare added some additional patch notes to the one released yesterday. Check them out below: Flashpoints + Operations Terror From Beyond The Data Cores no longer spawn infinite droids. Battle of Rishi Marko’Ka’s summoned droids can no longer be salvaged. Legacy of the Rakata Added additional points of collision in the area around the Infinite Army Prototype to prevent the avoidance of boss mechanics. Directive 7 The Mentor Assassin Beta no longer drops loot before all of the Assassin Droids are defeated. Items + Economy The following crafted cybertech items have had their values reduced significantly to be more in line with other crafted items: Frasium Frontline Secondary Parts Frasium Frontline Primary Parts Frasium Ordnance Secondary Parts Frasium Ordnance Primary Parts Frasium Frontline Secondary Motor Frasium Ordnance Primary Motor Frasium Frontline Primary Motor Frasium Ordnance Secondary Motor Frasium Ordnance Secondary Core Frasium Ordnance Primary Core Frasium Frontline Sensor Unit Frasium…
The Star Wars: The Old Republic Community Cantina Tour Arrives in Anaheim, California on 18 April
BioWare just announced that the next stop in the Star Wars: The Old Republic Community Cantina Tour will be happening on Friday 18 April at 19:00–22:00 in PDT. The event will be hold at Hilton Anaheim 777 W Convention Way, Anaheim, California 92802: We’re happy to announce that the next stop in the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Community Cantina Tour will be happening on Saturday, April 18th, in Anaheim for STAR WARS: Celebration! This is your chance to join the Star Wars: The Old Republic community for a development team presentation as well as complimentary drinks*, food, and giveaways. Every attendee will also be receiving an Anaheim exclusive Prinawe Congregate vehicle code. We will also have a special appearance by the 501st, a green screen area for photos, and more! Space is limited so be sure to come early. If you’re in the area, make sure to stop by and…
SWTOR Game Update 3.1.1 Patch Notes
Here are the patchnotes for tomorrows servers maintenance: Highlights Bounty Contract Week Returns! Hunt wanted criminals in this returning event. The event begins March 17th at 04:00 PDT/11:00 GMT and ends March 24th at 04:00 PDT/11:00 GMT. General The second dialogue choice when speaking to Jerwo Vhob on Rishi no longer appears blank in French and German. The Decoration “Gree Light Pillar (Blue)” now consistently appears in the Decoration UI. Numerous mounts have been updated to allow similar styles to utilize the same hook types within Strongholds. The “Orbital Power Monitor” Decoration now has a 20% chance to drop from the final boss of Kuat Drive Yards. The following decorations have been added to their appropriate faction Starfighter and PvP Decoration vendor. They cost 5 Dark Projects and 5 Universal Prefabs MK-3 each: Ship Computer: Imperial (Full) Ship Computer: Republic (Full) Applied the appropriate soundsets to numerous Nova Blades on…
SWTOR Patch 3.1.1 scheduled for tomorrow Thursday
SWTOR Patch 3.1.1 will be scheduled for tomorrow Thursday 12 Martch, if all goes as planned. Scheduled Maintenance: March 12th, 2015 | 03.11.2015, 02:36 PM All servers will be unavailable on March 12th while we apply Game Update 3.1.1. Date: Thursday, 12 March 2015 Time: 5:00AM PDT (12:00 GMT) – 9:00AM PDT (16:00 GMT) Version: 3.1.1 Preliminary Patch Notes can be found here. Final patch notes will be posted Monday, March 9th. During maintenance, all updates and additional information will be posted on our Twitter account. Thank you for your patience as we maintain service for Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. Hey folks, I have seen some questions about why we delayed the patch so I thought I would let you know what caused the delay. There is an issue that would cause character’s with certain facial features, during conversations, to have their faces become blacked out or to appear bright…
Update on SWTOR Win-Trading and Griefing in Season 4
Yesterday Eric Musco addressed the PvP forums, and updated players on Bioware’s action towards win-traders and trolls in ranked PvP. Check it out below: Update on Win-Trading and Griefing in Season 4 | 03.10.2015, 06:45 PM Hey folks, As promised, we want to keep you informed on what we are doing about those win-traders and trolls in Ranked PvP. Here is what is happening right now: Win-traders – We have been reviewing multiple sets of data, along with the private reports that many of you have been sending to the team. Any player who, through validating data, is win-trading is receiving will be receiving at a minimum, a warning. Not only are we warning these users to stop what they are doing, continued win-trading will lead to greater actions including resetting their ratings and suspension time. Griefer – Those players that seem to have that one singular purpose, to ruin…
Changes to the Cartel Market — Tuesday March 10 -17 2015
Here are the weekly cartel market items on sale for the week of Feb 24 – Mar 04 2015. Items No Longer Available Helpful links GOLD SCALENE ARMOR SET Price Change Old Price New Price Percent Change Normal Price Helpful links LEGACY UNLOCK: SITH PUREBLOOD 300 600 +100% 600 LEGACY UNLOCK: MIRALUKA 300 600 +100% 600 THE ARNECLIN MASTERPIECES 600 1000 +66% 1000 DESCENDANT’S HEIRLOOM SABER 350 500 +42% 500 Information from TOR FASHION DESCENDANT’S HEIRLOOM DUELSABER 350 500 +42% 500 Information from TOR FASHION WEEKLY PASS: OPERATIONS 240 180 –25% 210 WEEKLY PASS: WARZONES 240 180 –25% 210 APPEARANCE MODIFICATION STATION 110 55 –50% 82 Information from TOR Fashion APPEARANCE OPTIONS: HUMAN HAIRSTYLES 1 240 120 –50% 180 CYBER ASSAULT CANNON 600 360 –40% 480 Information from TOR Fashion UNLOCK: ADDITIONAL LEGACY STRONGHOLD STORAGE BAY 750 450 –40% 600 GALACTIC TRADE NETWORK (WALL) 120 90 –25% 105 Information from…
SWTOR Patch 3.1.1 Delayed to later this week
Tomorrows SWTOR Patch 3.1.1 has been delayed, and will first be deployed some time later this week. Here are the details from Tait Watson: Scheduled Maintenance: TBD | 03.09.2015, 05:33 PM Hey everyone! We are going to be pushing the maintenance window to later this week. I don’t have all the details right now, but this thread will be updated when I do. Thank you for your understanding! -Tait
Scheduled Maintenance – 10 March 2015 – Patch 3.1.1
BioWare will be taking down the servers on March 10 to preform scheduled maintenance. Below are the details: Scheduled Maintenance: 10 March 2015 | 03.06.2015, 03:45 PM All servers will be unavailable on March 10th while we apply Game Update 3.1.1. Date: Tuesday, March 10th, 2015 Time: 5:00AM PDT (12:00 GMT) – 9:00AM PDT (16:00 GMT) Version: 3.1.1 Preliminary Patch Notes can be found below. Final patch notes will be posted Monday, March 9th. During maintenance, all updates and additional information will be posted on our Twitter account. Thank you for your patience as we maintain service for Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Preliminary Game Update 3.1.1 Patch Notes: General The second dialogue choice when speaking to Jerwo Vhob on Rishi no longer appears blank in French and German. The Decoration “Gree Light Pillar (Blue)” now consistently appears in the Decoration UI. Numerous mounts have been updated to allow similar…
SWTOR Dev Blog: The Final Trial
BioWare published a new short story titled The Final Trial featuring Lana Beniko. Check it out: Lana Beniko woke with heavy lids, her mind and body brittle against the cold stone of Tulak Hord’s tomb. How long had she slept? The strain in her limbs told her not long enough, but she feared it had been days. Hunger clawed at the lining of her stomach, but Lana shook it off. She needed to keep moving, keep searching. To stay here was to become just another lifeless relic of the tomb. Dark soil stained Lana’s fingernails as she pushed herself to stand. The air was drafty, chapping her already raw lips. “You’re awake,” a hoarse voice stated. Lana had forgotten she wasn’t alone. Bensyn knelt at the entrance of the alcove they had chosen as a resting spot, his red Sith Pureblood skin easily recognizable. Kagan was curled next to him still…
SWTOR PTS 3.1.2 Update #2 Patch Notes
BioWare have updated the SWTOR Public test servers wiht a new patch. This update is focusing on class changes. Check it out below: Jedi Knight Guardian Focused Defense now grants 12 charges (up from 10) and lasts for 15 seconds (up from 10). Sith Warrior Juggernaut Enraged Defense now grants 12 charges (up from 10) and lasts for 15 seconds (up from 10). Jedi Consular Sage Redesigned the Upheaval utility: Project gains a 25% chance to produce a second Project that deals 25% damage. Telekinetics Fixed an issue that caused Tremors to apply Unshakable early, negating interrupts. Shadow Infiltration Kinetic Field now increases damage reduction by 3% for 15 seconds (up from 2%) when dealing critical damage. This effect stacks up to 3 times. Sith Inquisitor Sorcerer Redesigned the Chain Shock utility: Shock gains a 25% chance to produce a second Shock that deals 25% damage. Lightning Fixed an issue…