When a prominent figure in the gaming community steps away from a beloved game, it reverberates through the fandom. On July 1, 2024, Xam Xam, a long-time content creator for “Star Wars: The Old Republic” (SWTOR), announced their departure from the game, leaving fans in shock and sparking widespread discussions. In a heartfelt blog post on MMO Bits, Xam Xam detailed their reasons for leaving, citing dissatisfaction with recent updates, the APAC server launch, and persistent PvP problems. You can read the full farewell post here. The Journey and Contributions of Xam Xam Xam Xam has been a fixture in the SWTOR community for years, providing valuable content, guides, and insights that have enriched the gaming experience for countless players. Their departure marks the end of an era and prompts reflection on the current state of SWTOR. Why Did Xam Xam Leave? In their farewell post, Xam Xam highlighted several…
guild
SWTOR: Introduction to Guild Heraldry
Here is the latest blog post from BioWare Austine, explaining the new Guild Heraldry system coming with todays game update. Check it out: With Game Update 5.10.2 “Heralds of Victory” we are introducing a tool for Guilds to rally behind, Guild Heraldry, and a major re-work of the Preview Window. If you missed it, be sure to check out our detailed look into the Preview Window we posted in March. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at the Guild Heraldry system. Guild Heraldry helps Guilds by adding a route of customization to further form their own identity. Guilds can choose from a selection of Symbols and Backgrounds, along with the full hex code color spectrum, to create a personalized banner to rally behind. These Heraldries are then available to be seen both within a Guild and outside of it. Now let’s break down the individual pieces, so you know exactly…
SWTOR: Game Update 5.10.2 ‘Heralds of Victory’ Is Coming!
Yesterday the devs over at Bioware Austine announced that Patch 5.10.2, named Heralds of Victory will be landing in April and feature guild heraldry and preview window changes. When Game Update 5.10 ‘Jedi Under Siege’ launched, guilds received a boost in the form of new guild leveling and PvP challenge systems, as well as new management tools. Seeing guilds flourish from this, with Game Update 5.10.2 ‘Heralds of Victory’, we are planning to add even more for guilds! This new feature is called Guild Heraldry and it will be another tool for guilds to rally behind! Each guild can create their own emblem to represent them throughout the game. Between the combination of icons, background details, and variety of colors, guilds will be able to create something truly unique. A guild’s emblem will be displayed in the general guild window, on the conquest planetary leaderboards, and many other places! On…
SWTOR Guilld Leveling and Perks Developer Livestream Notes
SWTOR Guild leveling and guild perks developer livestream notes. Agenda Conquests Guild Management Guild Leveling Guild Perks Q&A Conquests New objectives for Chapters, Eternal Championships, Warzones, and kills (literally kill any NPC/mobs) Removed “Defeat Guards” Objectives – Data show very small faction of the people actually do this objective Bonus for committing – deterrence for “planet sniping” – 15% bonus to conquest points earned if you commit. Guild Management Guild Inspect Guild Logging Guild Mail Guild Ban by Legacy – You cannot circumvent this by changing your legacy name Additional Guild Member Ranks – max rank up to 20 PvP Challenge – Guilds/Groups can challenge each other to PvP/GSF matches. Guild groups can track of win/losses if they wish. Heraldry won’t make it to 5.10, will come in later. Guild Leveling Guild XP earned via Conquest Points. 1 Conquest Point = 2 Guild XP Benefits – perks and new bonuses…
SWTOR Guild Perks and Guild Levels Guide
Revamped Guild Window The first thing to note is the newly redesigned guild window. It has four tabs: general, roster, perks, and ranks. General tab give you a good overview of guild activity and conquest leaderboard for guild members. Roster have not changed much from the older version. Pretty much identical Perks is completely new in 5.10 and will be expanded on below. Note that to use guild perks you must own a Guild Flagship and unlock the various rooms in the ships. Guild flagships have their prices lowered from 50 mil down to 15 mil. You can now set custom ranks and give specific permissions for each rank you set. Guild Levels Guilds can now earn levels. Guild levels are earned via conquest points with every conquest point = 2 guild XP. There is a weekly cap of 8 million guild XP (4 million conquest guilds) that only very…
TOR TV: The Imperial Army 47th I.E.F. Recruitment Video
I just love when players get creative with videos surrounding the game. I also love it when players get creative with their recruiting techniques. I think one reason for this is that I have been in charge of recruiting in many games and communities in which I played a serious role. In my WoW guild, I handled recruiting, as well as when my WoW guild moved to SWTOR. I also handled recruiting in a ranked/leadership position for a TF2 community I was part of for some time. I know all about the unique challenges that can come with recruiting. I know how hard it is when you want to encourage recruiting without spam, how hard it is to find the right people suited to your community or guild, how challenging it can be to find new, creative ways of advertising that you are accepting members and showing the benefits of…
SWTOR Tips for Small Guilds Doing Conquests
The Conquest system within SWTOR is a pretty good one in many ways. It’s also a good way to get back into some of that older content and see it all again (or for the first time). However, if you have a small guild, you may have found that it’s just not as easy to do the conquests. Some players feel like guilds with smaller numbers don’t have a chance to compete for the Top 10. Well, here are a couple of things to know. First, even if you don’t make it in the top 10, doing these conquests is a great way to build guild unity. Secondly, depending on your server, you might have more of a chance than you think at moving up the ranks if you just get a good solid group of people together to commit. So with that in mind, if you want to try…
Small Guild Alliances to “fix” SWTOR Conquests?
The question is: do conquests need any sort of “fixing” at all? According to most players, they’re fine the way they are, but they’re a bit slanted towards favoring larger guilds, and that’s where some improvements could be done. Some smaller guilds have decried the conquest reward system, which they deemed unsatisfactory. This issue however has been shot down by others, who have come out against an altered reward system, saying that any alternatives would allow larger guilds to extend their conquest domination even further. The bottom line about the conquest “conundrum” is that for the most part, they’re great for everyone: they’re enjoyable and they offer a great common goal to work towards. Those in smaller guilds do find it more difficult to come out on top though. While this small glitch in the conquest mechanics may seem minute indeed, it can in fact be dangerous, because it may…
Calling all guilds!
Hillary Nicole asking for your guild information on the official site. It’s unknown what she is up to yet, but I speculate that BioWare is restarting the guild program we had around when the game started. It might also have something to do with the guild ships coming with the next game update. Another guess would be potentially organizing live events, thus the request for an email. What do you guys think? Anyways. Below is the official announcement: Hey everyone, It’s about tiiiime I start collecting the contacts from guilds in SW:TOR. I guess this is a bit trickier, as I will need a tad bit more information from you all, so I set it up in a list-type format: Guild Name: Guild Leader(s): Primary Contact (email): Website (if any): Server: Faction: Guild Size: Focus (PvP, raiding, social, etc): Any Additional Info: Keep in mind that “not meeting requirements” is…
Lukewarm Tauntauns, Star Wars The Old Republic Ranked Guild Interview
It’s a long interview but one I recommend people watch, especially if they want a glimpse into the world of high level ranked PvP and the players behind it. Play it in the background while playing SWTOR or something. 🙂 Good questions asked and hopefully Bioware actually sees this to see what some of their ranked players are saying and thinking.
Guild Rewards Program
BioWare posted an update on the official Star Wars: The old republic website, regarding new and upcoming guild features. From now on you will be getting a 5% XP boost for being in a guild. They will also be adding more guild benefits later.. Who said guild capital ships? Did you say guild capital ships? Someone said guild capital ships.?! Are you ready to earn valuable rewards for joining a guild? We’ve got great news! We’re excited to launch a new Guild Rewards Program which rewards player participation in guilds with in-game bonuses and benefits. In this initial phase, players earn an additional 5% Guild XP Bonus for all experience gained while playing in a guild. So whether you’re already in a guild or are looking to join or create one, jump in now to take advantage of this bonus! We’re working on adding more guild rewards so stay tuned…
Attack of the guild: Recruiting and Drama
One of the most rewarding experiences of running a guild deals with recruiting new members. It gives you the opportunity to capture the pulse of the SWToR community by talking to other players who just happened to see your recruiting message in general chat, explore what they’re looking for, and see how their requirements change over the course of time. Most chat sessions tend to be typical, others interesting while others thought provoking. Before server mergers occurred, new players were scarce and you would always come across people who found their way in the server (Axial Park in Alpha Strike Force’s case) either by mistake or because they left their guild. After the server mergers, every new recruit was essentially a refugee from another server or a returning player who just happened to hear that things were getting better in SWToR and decided to give the game another shot. (As…
So you hit level 50….now what? Gearing up at level 50.
As with most games, reaching max level (lvl 50) is only the beginning. Once there, players can begin the journey to gain the best gear this game has to offer to take on new challenges and harder operations. This guide is meant to provide an explanation to how this is accomplished and hopeful clear up some of the confusion.
Jawas gone wild! Hooded little creatures invade Xenoanalyst boss encounter!
It was supposed to be yet another Xenoanalyst hard mode operation for the Gree World event that ends soon… Most of the Alpha Strike Force guild group had never done this fight before and was in the process of figuring out its mechanics. The operation was on its third try and controlling the additional monsters (i.e. adds) attacking the group during the main fight was becoming the main issue.
Attack of the guild – Speaking of power
Following last month’s Attack of the Guild article covering the mission statement of your guild, this month continues our discussion with guild control and sharing the power as a guild leader. I’ve always contemplated on how much control a guild master should have over his/her guild and always challenged myself to find the perfect balance – a task that’s easier said than done.
Attack of the guild
I am Elrik of the Alpha Strike Force (ASF) guild on the Jedi Covenant server and this is the newest column of SWToRStrategies.com called Attack of the guild. This monthly column will cover, different aspects of running a guild, offer hints and tips on guild management as well as insights on all the things they didn’t tell you when you signed up to become a leader in the guild. I have been running guilds/clans for about 5 years now and I have certainly seen my fair share of very rewarding as well as challenging times.
How to Find the Right Guild in SWTOR
Are you a new player or previously unguilded player looking for the right guild in SWTOR? Well, this game, like any MMO, is designed to have social aspects. While you can play solo and you certainly don’t have to have a guild in order to enjoy parts of the game, it does bring a lot to the table when you find a good one. Some players were part of multi-gaming guilds that moved over to SWTOR from previous games they were playing. But for others, the search for a guild can be daunting. Here are some tips on how to find and get into a good guild: Play the game: First, play the game for awhile first. This will give you the very important opportunity to first see what it is you like about the game and how you want to play and then find a guild that meets your…
Intergalactic Intel: An interview with Vodka
Graywulf has joined the party. “What the hell Niggles?!” “What?” My friend questioned in chat. “Yeah what?” Graywulf had no idea he had just intrrupted my interview. “I’m interviewing Niggles, I still have three more questions…” I added an emoticon to display my annoyance. “Why is he someone famous?” Niggles was silent. “Yeah. He’s ex-vodka.” Today I have a very special guest, a member a long time member of the renowned wow guild, Vodka. For those of you who don’t know Vodka is one of the top US guilds and previously one of the top world guilds for end game PvE content. So without further ado: Me: Let’s start with the basics. Who are you? Niggles: Niggles 😮 Oh, a real answer? Okay. I’m an ex-vodka member Veiled to be exact. Me: So why did you pick sage? Niggles: I wanted to have a class that could heal and put…
Guild Summit Update and Your Chance to Ask Questions!
Attention SWTOR guild leaders: Did you get an email about your application to the Austin guild summit? All emails have now been sent out so if you applied and were chosen, you would have gotten the notice and the window has now passed to accept the invitation. For those guilds who did not reply in the 48 hour window, or those who were unable to go, BioWare will now turn to the backup guilds that were on the waitlist. So your chance to get in is still there. David Bass updates on the forums: All emails have now been sent out. Please check your inboxes if you applied for the Guild Summit, and email guilds@swtor.com if you do not receive an email within the next hour or so. For those who have been put on the waitlist, we’ll contact you sometime within the next week if a space opens up…
Guild Summit Update
For those of you awaiting news about the upcoming Guild Summit in Austin and whether or not your guild was invited, BioWare has given us an update on the official SWTOR blog. They have received the applications and should have responses coming out to everyone soon: Thank you to all of the guild leaders who submitted applications to attend the first Guild Summit in Austin. We are currently reviewing guild applications and will be responding back to everyone who applied in the next few days. For those who are unable to attend the Guild Summit for one reason or another, we’re very happy to announce that we will be providing a livestream of select events during the Guild Summit, including developer presentations and feedback discussions. These livestreams will allow players from around the world to observe and participate in some of the event discussions as well. As a reminder, the…
Announcing The Old Republic Guild Summit
Good news in from BioWare this week. They have announced the first ever SWTOR Guild Summit, hosted right here in Austin (where I just happen to be) in March of this year. Guild leaders from around the world will gather with developers from BioWare Austin to talk about the game and its future. It’s by invitation only but yours truly is hoping to be there (*cough* cough* BioWare) and if not, I will at least bring you all the updates as I find out about them. The update was announced on the official News feed for SWTOR: Guild leaders (or a designated officer in the event of a guild leader being unable to attend) will participate in Q&A sessions with developers, roundtable feedback discussions, and will get a preview of some upcoming game features. The goal of the summit is to facilitate an open discussion between guild leaders and the…
Ideal Guild Quiz – Find and Recruit Players for Your Guild
Are you looking for new applicants for your guild? This is the best way for your SWTOR guild to find and recruit quality applicants. It’s a handy quiz that helps you set parameters for your guild to aide in recruiting the most suited players as members. As a guild leader, you know that your guild is unique from the many other guilds out there. This is why choosing members is so important. Quality guilds are selective and don’t just let any player who asks into their guild. Instead, you want to search for players who meet certain qualifications or expectations of your guild. Personality is also important when seeking a guild in SWTOR – or any MMORPG. Your personality should flow well with the rest of the guild and with the overall guild mission and objectives. This is why this handy quiz is so great at helping applicants find the…
Thoughts & Solutions to World PvP in TOR
Recent events in SWTOR have led to a great deal of conversation about PvP in SWTOR and PvP in games in general. This is an age-old debate and you can never make everyone happy in a video game, especially in PvP aspects of it. However, there are certain things that can be done to ensure a better game experience for the players and honestly, some games just severely fail at doing so. Death Fist has some ideas about solutions to World PvP in SWTOR: To be frank, no game has nailed World PvP. And some games, like Warhammer Online, died because they couldn’t provide a meaningful, competitive World PvP game for their customers. Sadly, it doesn’t look like BioWare learned the BIG World PvP lesson from Warhammer – gamers will always travel the path of least resistance to achieve their goals. Ah, isn’t that the truth? As gamers, we depend…
New Video for what’s to come in SWTOR over the coming months!
It’s just about time to pay up for another month of SWTOR subscription, and BioWare has started teasing us with what we have to look forwarder to in upcoming patches. Personally I’m impressed, it all looks really really promising. Check it out below: See what the future holds for Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ in this brand new video which showcases some of the new game content and game systems that we will release in the coming months. In it, you will be able to take your first look at upcoming game content, including new Warzones and Flashpoints. You will also have the chance to get a sneak peek at the expanded Legacy system that’s coming to the game, UI customization, as well as new Guild features!