So if you are a follower of Wookieepedia you may have already run across from hilarious, witty or downright cute entries on the Star Wars themed database. It’s one of the reasons we like it so much. That and the fact that we love Star Wars. I mean where else can you find such a complete database of Star Wars characters, story, canon and more? What is Wookiepedia? (for those rare few in our audience who may not know yet) The Star Wars encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Warning: this wiki contains spoilers. So anyway, let’s go back to those funny entries we were talking about. We’ve found some really good ones lately. For example, have you seen The Emperor’s New Clothes or Order 66 Cookie? Or here is an entire page just about breasts… “Breasts were the mammary glands of mammalian species and some reptomammals, and were normally a distinguishing feature of…
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Interesting Star Wars Data
We love Star Wars. We bet you do as well. That’s probably why you are here. But how do other stories compare to Star Wars if you asked a large group of Sci-Fi fans? Well, someone set out to do that and we find the results really interesting. This comes from Jedi News: Star Wars Data: How Does Star Wars Fare? What do you get when you take 2000 sci-fi fans and ask them a range of questions about a variety of sci-fi and comic series? You get Star Wars rising, like the cream it is, to the top. Please tick your top three favourite series out of the following list: The Star Trek series: 46.40% (928) The Star Wars series: 53.20% (1064) Battlestar Galactica serie: 17.00%(340) Dc Comics: 19.00% (380) Marvel Comics: 35.40% (708) Dr Who series: 39.25% (785) None of the above: 9.05% (181) In your opinion what are the most-overrated fantasy/ Sci-Fi…
MythBusters: “Star Wars: Revenge Of The Myth”
If you are a fan of the show MythBusters, you may have caught the most recent episode where they tackle some myths about Star Wars. But if you’re also a Star Wars fan, you may have skipped right over that episode, not wanting them to burst the bubble of your childhood dreams. We don’t need anyone to prove to us that Star Wars scenes aren’t plausible. Part of the beauty of it all was the wonder, the fantasy, the dream! But if you are curious and didn’t see it, A.V. Club has a little write-up about this episode of MythBusters. For starters, the show stays appropriately grounded in scientific fact (or at least conjecture), so lightsabers, TIE fighters, hyperspace, and the Force are left to the sort of “could it ever happen?” conjecture of a Doctor Who special —leaving the hosts (and their trio of less-interesting underlings) to cast their skeptical peepers…
Speculative Documentary: Space Wars
Last week I wrote about our plans to put up a weekly column on more nerdy stuff, that is not really part of the Star Wars universe. We still don’t know what to call it, but the plan is to post documentaries, images or articles, on space and speculative discussion on future technology. Last week i promised we will post something new each Saturday, and already I broke my promise. I have been out almost all weekend, but now I am here, and here is a new documentary from National Geographic. This one is called Space Wars, and is part of the “the universe” series. This one was aired back in 2009 and has scientist speculate on future space weaponry and battle tactics. So far no country has put weapons into space but they can shoot down satellites. If weapons do become part of space, how will they work, how effective will…
Speculative Documentary: Evacuate Earth
Last week we posted a story about the images carried by the spacecraft Voyager. This was so well received by you – our readers – getting more then 300 likes on Facebook. Therefor we thought we will follow up on it, and start a new column on this more nerdy stuff, that is not really part of the Star Wars universe. We don’t know what to call it yet, but the plan is to post documentaries, images or articles, on space and speculative discussion on future technology. This first video we are posting is named “Evacuate Earth”. It is a National Geographic Channel documentary, that tells the what-if story of the evacuation of the planet Earth which is due to be destroyed by a rogue neutron star. The documentary goes into the technical and social complications of building an Ark to save humanity and other Earth life, and moving them…
The pictures on the spacecraft Voyager. If it is discovered by someone else in the universe, this is what they will know of humanity
This has nothing to do with Star Wars, Yet… It has it has everything to do with Star Wars. These are the pictures that were put on the voyager spacecraft. If the human race manages to kill itself, this is the only thing other life in the universe will be know about us. This would be the imprint we leave on the entire universe. Statement: This voyager spacecraft was constructed by the United States of America. We are a community of 240 million human beings among the more than 4 billion who inhabit the planet earth. We human beings are still divided into nation states, but these states are rapidly becoming a single global civilization. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations. This record represents our hope and our…
AMD and Raptr Bring Us a Cool PC Gamer App
AMD and Raptr Have Created An Application To Optimize Your Games Based On Community Data. SWTOR is supported. You can check it out for yourself here. This is a pretty cool tool for PC gamers. You can quickly and easily have all the best quality and performance settings for your computer/system and based on the game you’re playing so you always get the most from your game. The app uses data from the AMD community to help you get the ultimate performance. Here is technology at its best, giving you the best PC gaming experience possible. Keep your games optimized Auto-optimization provides the best quality and performance settings for your rig based on data collected from the AMD community. View supported games » Real rewards just for playing games Earn real rewards just for using the Gaming Evolved app while you play. The more you play, the more rewards you’ll…
Does Your Character’s Lightsaber Have a Name?
So here’s a fun question for SWTOR players: does your character’s lightsaber have a name? And why or why not? We want to hear your lightsaber names and if you don’t have one, tell us why. This comes from a fun thread on the SWTOR Community Forums called “What is the Name of Your Character’s Lightsaber?” where players are discussing whether or not lightsabers should be named and what theirs are named. Halinmonk starts it off: “My Jedi Consular called her first lightsaber “Dawn” and her second “Aero”, my Sith Warrior called her’s “False Friend””. Tahrl brings in an opinion of those who are opposed naming their sabers: Hate to be the boring one, but neither my Jedi Knight nor my Sith Warrior named their Lightsaber. It is a weapon, a tool. Like a really deadly spanner. It’s not befitting a name. It may be damaged, discarded, replaced or stolen….
Teamviewer on an Iphone Means SWTOR has been Played in the White House
Someone in the White House is playing Star Wars the Old Republic but we’re guessing it’s not President Obama. SWTOR in the White House- it’s a fun thought, really. I remember touring the White House a few times when I was a kid growing up in Virginia. We went there for school field trips. I definitely never got to play a video game inside the Blue Room. What about you? Teamviewer on an iPhone means SWTOR has been played in the White House and we also have the pictures to prove it. What is Teamviewer? TeamViewer is a piece of software which you need to install on your PC. There is also an Android app and iPhone app available (which is what this player was using in the White House). It allows you to access your game from your mobile device. However, the connection drops easily and I find it very…
How Much Do You Love SWTOR: Enough to Get a Tattoo?
How much do you love your game? Star Wars fans are notorious for going to extremes to show their love and support for Star Wars and SWTOR is no exception. While some will call the game a failure, there are others who put their heart and soul into building and creating the game and still others who were just really big fans. Some loved the game so much they got SWTOR tattoos. While a video game might not be permanent, a tattoo is so what will become of these people who love the game so much, they got a permanent reminder of it on their bodies? Let’s explore this thought for a minute. We know the BioWare doctors got launch tattoos for SWTOR and there were many other members of the BioWare Austin team who did the same. They worked hard on this project and it’s not surprising that they…
SWTOR Unleashed – RamDisk Game Launcher with Massive Performance Increase
What if there was a way to play SWTOR without using up all of your computer resources? What if you could play from a RamDisk and have better performance and faster response? Well… now there is a way and it’s not a hack. It’s BioWare approved. It’s actually really cool to see players getting into a game and finding new and better ways to enjoy it or enjoy it better and of course, sharing that with the community is greatly appreciated as well. Learn more from this post: Approved By BioWare A program to automate the setup and removal process to use this game (SWTOR) with a ramdisk. This includes creating a ramdrive, copying file and creating the needed links. You as user can select what files you want to have on the ramdrive, depending on your needs and maximal available ram. Please click the link below for details about…
NVIDIA adds native Ambient Occlusion support for SWTOR in 306.02 BETA driver release
NVIDIA is showing some love for Star Wars: The old republic in there upcoming driver release. In the new beta release NVIDIA is adds native Ambient Occlusion witch is a visual effect that was originally developed by Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) and used in the 2001 film Pearl Harbor. Hardware support has been available since 2003 with NVIDIA’s GeForce FX. One of the first games to use ambient occlusion was Crysis, which was developed by Crytek and released in late 2007. In 2009, NVIDIA added Ambient Occlusion as a Control Panel feature in its v185 drivers. An up-to-date list of games that support ambient occlusion through the Control Panel is given at the end of this article. What It Is and How It Works: One of the most difficult challenges in 3D game design is realistically modeling the behavior of light and its effects on various textures and surfaces without compromising frame rate….
The Official SW.com Blog Returns
It’s baaaaccck! The Official Star Wars blog tells us: “It’s been just about two months since we put this blog on hiatus to update its design and develop a new approach to content. It took a bit longer than we had hoped, but we’re glad to say that starting today, we’re back… with a few exciting changes.” I know a lot of fans have been waiting a long time to hear this. So what kind of changes can you expect to encounter now that it’s back? Here are some changes: Supervising Director Dave Filoni will be sharing insights and stories from behind-the-scenes of The Clone Wars, along with other cast and crew. We’re going to open up the Lucasfilm archives, with J.W. Rinzler and others sharing never-before-seen images, videos and stories from the making of the films. Resident Star Wars experts Pablo Hidalgo and Leland Chee will be sharing details about…
Looking Back at HK-47 before the Big SWTOR Reveal
The arrival of HK-47 has been hinted at since PAX 2010, when a SWTOR teaser video had a HK-series droid saying “Interjection: Silence Meatbags” and he’s since appeared in the Foundry Flashpoint. The new 1.3 patch notes have also confirmed that a new companion for all classes is arriving, an HK-51 droid, based on 47’s model. With the forthcoming return of the HK-series droids to Star Wars: The Old Republic, we thought it was time for a look back to the origin of the product line. (More spoilers than a modded car show, watch out.) If you’re a big fan of HK-47, you’re going to be happy to hear the news that a new droid companion is coming to SWTOR. He’s such a fun droid who has real issues with “meatbags” and PCGamesN has decided to take this time to look back on the HK-series of droids and their history….
SWTOR vs SWG Survey Results: Week 1
Remember that survey we told you about recently from Gemtrix? If you took part in the SWTOR vs SWG survey, you can now see the first week’s results. This survey will be ongoing so each week there will be updates to see how the survey continues to unfold. These results are as of May 24th, 2012 @ 9:18am EST. There are 1,096 responses in record here. Week 1 results are just the beginning. Each week this will continue. So if you didn’t participate in the survey yet, head back over and answer the questions. Your results will be part of week 2. Gemtrix.com said: There are a couple things that you should keep in mind: All questions, and responses are optional. As such, any voter is free to skips questions, vote for multiple line items, etc. This means that anyone is free to say that they prefer SWTOR, and SWG,…
SWTOR Players Average 4 Hour Sessions
According to Greg Zeschuk, head of BioWare Austin, the average SWTOR player plays for four to six hours per session. This is a startling number to non-gamers but not so shocking to those who enjoy spending some quality time in a good MMO. “When they play, their sessions are absurd,” Greg Zeschuk said in a recent interview. “What it implies is that we’ve managed to pull off this ‘just-one-more-quest, just-one-more-thing’ feeling. I find myself doing that all the time. I just get sucked back in. The playing of the game is off the charts.”” Many of us who have been playing for awhile now can understand this first-hand. Really, isn’t this what every MMO strives for? When you add the story elements that BioWare has in SWTOR, it’s easy to see how players can get sucked in for that “one more thing” and end up playing for several hours. In…
Lego Explanation of the Tank-Heal-Damage Triad- by 6 Year Old
The concept of the tank-heal-damage triad in your typical MMO, including SWTOR, is so easy that a 6-year-old can understand it. It does make you wonder then, why so many people you come across in game seem to have issues with this very basic concept. Anyway, we stumbled across this very cute blog by Jasper, a 6-year old SWTOR fan. This kid needs to meet up with my 5-year-old (soon to be 6) because I think they could really be pals. I also have a Lego/Star Wars fan in my house and this looks exactly like something my two boys would do. Both gamer fans, former WoW players and huge collectors of Lego sets, why not use the very popular toy to explain this gaming concept? On his blog, Jasper says: “If the tank and healers dies, um, the damage dealer will end up dying, because he doesn’t have the…
What to Do During SWTOR Maintenance
So it’s maintenance day for SWTOR and you are finding yourself at a loss for what to do. You’ve been playing every day, working your way to max level, completing missions, earning credits and building a legacy. Now what? SWTOR maintenance day is not a need for stress and worry. There are many productive things you could be doing instead while SWTOR is down for maintenance. Here are some ideas of what to do during SWTOR maintenance: Read SWTORstrategies.com Go take a shower Step outside-remember that thing called the sun? Have a Star Wars movie marathon Sketch your character Play KOTOR Reintroduce yourself to non-gamer friends (do they remember you anymore?) Make a list of things you will do when the server is back up Organize your screenshot folder Spend time on forums talking about SWTOR Many people have work or school during the maintenance hours anyway so they don’t…
SWTOR for the Holidays
If you’re looking for a popular game choice this holiday season, is there really any surprise that SWTOR tops the lists? Entertainment Weekly has named STAR WARS™: The Old Republic™ one of their 15 Must-Have Videogames this holiday season and The New York Times has placed STAR WARS™: The Old Republic™ on their 2011 Holiday Gift Guide! With the timely release of SWTOR slotted for December 20, 2011, it’s the perfect opportunity for family members of Star Wars fans or MMORPG lovers to snag a copy of the anticipated game for Christmas. It’s also a great opportunity to do something with that cash or gift cards you get for the holidays. I think it’s a safe bet to say that we will start seeing SWTOR show up on even more holiday wish lists and “best of” lists as we draw closer to the holiday season. For those who have preordered,…
Star Wars: The Old Republic engages buyers
What is all the hype of SWTOR all about anyway? We already know that there are a select group of Star Wars fans who have been waiting forever for this game and there will be some SWG crossovers (those who are not blacklisting it) but still, that leaves a massive interest in the game. Where is it coming from? A story on UK’s Gaming Entertainment explains how SWTOR engages buyers, which is one reason they believe it is so popular. A snippet: We are under no illusion that sales will be that of MW3, but we have been surprised at just how much attention SWTOR is having on gamers. According to this source The Old Republic has now made it to the number one position for pre-orders, which is said to be more than 180,000 more than its closest rival. So what are their reasons for why SWTOR is getting…
How SWTOR’s release date happened.
Came across this little meme over at Reddit. While I’m not sure that this is how the decision on SWTOR release was made, i’m sure that there have been a nerve war going on between BioWare and Blizzard on these two games. But Deathwing Raid for WoW announced to be released on December 13th ITS A TRAP!
Birth and Evolution of the Lightsaber
We previously brought you a story about how lightsabers work but when it comes to filmmaking history, you probably have no idea how far the light saber has really evolved. It’s really interesting to look at the birth of the lightsaber and how it evolved into what we know it as today. In this article by Rianne Hill Soriana, we see an explanation of the lightsaber concept: “According to filmmaker George Lucas, “Star Wars” had influences from early pirate, adventure, and romantic films of the 1940s. With its basic premise centering on a romantic fantasy, it was inspired by the great romantic traditions in the mythology of “King Arthur” and the adventurous spirit of “Robin Hood.”” She goes on to describe the look of the lightsaber itself and how this look was pulled off in film technology, even many years ago, helping to create the legend that is Star Wars…
First Look at Razer SWTOR Peripherals
We wrote yesterday about the announcement from Razer that they will have a full line of Star Wars: The Old Republic accessories to be released when the game is released. Lucky visitors to E3 were given the chance to see these peripherals up close, although they were not allowed to physically handle them at this time. One glaring difference between these and the photos that were released before is that they now look more white in color as opposed to silver when we first saw them. We have no real clarification at this time which color they will come in or if there is a choice. DarthHater released a video of the presentation the product managers gave on the Razer SWTOR items. Here’s an overview of the highlights of each piece: Keyboard- Has LCD buttons that are programmable for certain in-game functions. Can assign each key with an image and…
Razor SWTOR gear!
2011 E3 has another great announcement- Razer will be bringing us Star Wars: The Old Republic accessories! I’m a big Razer fan, currently using Razer accessories so I was pumped to check this out. In preparation for the release of TOR later this year, Razer has announced a TOR-themed LCD keyboard, mouse, gaming surface and a 5.1 headset. The SW:TOR gaming keyboard has neat features such as a touch-sensitive LCD track panel and 10 dynamic keys similar to what you will find in the upcoming Switchblade MMO portable. It has fully programmable gold backlit keys, a 7-foot USB cable and multi-color LED illumination so you can enjoy your game from anywhere. What are you going to have to pay for this puppy? It’s set to retail at $199.99. The mouse will look familiar if you’ve seen Razer’s original MMO gaming mouse with 17 programmable buttons, wired and wireless capabilities and…