It’s official! Star Wars: The old Republic Rise of the Hutt Cartel is to be released on April 9 – or at least the early access for people who have pre-ordered the game get’s access to the game that day. Everyone Else will get access april 14. The internet has been busing all day with news and interviews about this, and we will have a write up on Interviews & Information later today. With the news about the release date, BioWare also released the seccond part of the developer dispatch: Making of: Rise of the Hutt Cartel. Check it out below, and check out the official BioWare announcement below that. We’re thrilled to announce the launch date of Sunday, April 14, 2013, for the release of the first Digital Expansion: Rise of the Hutt Cartel. Introducing five new levels of gameplay and the vibrant new planet of Makeb, Rise of the Hutt Cartel will be available for download beginning…
Expansion
SWTOR PVP Changes in Patch 2.0
As you may already know, Patch 2.0 is going to bring a variety of changes and additions to SWTOR, all meant to improve the game overall and how we as players experience it. PvP and gear are two things we expect to see some changes in. In fact, there seems to be an overall trend of new gear stats, minus the pants, and a reduction in the stats provided by mods to gear. Some secondary stats are seeing changes or tweaks and War Hero gear critical rating has been replaced with power for some classes. There are new set bonuses for level 55 gear which we can see here: Marauder/ Sentinel DPS Weaponmaster’s Gear 2pc: Reduced the cooldown of Guarded by the Force or Undying Rage by 15 seconds, also increased its duration by 1 second. Weaponmaster’s Gear 4pc: Increased all damage dealt by 10% for 5 seconds after using…
Eric Musco Explains Differences between ROTHC and 2.0
Many players are asking what the difference between Rise of the Hutt Cartel and game update 2.0 are. Changes are coming to SWTOR, which is always a good thing, but some of this is confusing to players. Do you need to purchase ROTHC? Where is the clarification on this issue? Here, Eric Musco explains the difference: Here is a bit more clarification on the differences between Rise of the Hutt Cartel and 2.0 put as simply as I can! What subscribers will get without purchasing Rise of the Hutt Cartel: Class changes and balancing levels 1-50 Any itemization/world changes which affect levels 1-50 Legacy Achievements What subscribers will get if they do purchase Rise of the Hutt Cartel: New Operation: Scum and Villainy Nightmare Mode Terror From Beyond Upgraded level 55 Hard Mode Flashpoints Level cap increase to 55 All new Makeb storyline The new Operation and Hard Mode Flashpoints in Game Update 2.0…
UPDATE: SWTOR 2.0 Armor sets
With game update 2.0 – Rise of the Hutt Cartel live on the public test servers, we finally get the chance to see all the awesome new armor and weapon artwork. The Smuggler armor is sweet. The agent is cool, but I LOVE that Bounty Hunter helmet. Looks like the helmet from old Boba Fett concept art. If you haven’t already done so, you can read all about yesterdays update on Rise of the Hutt Cartel here, and check out the NEW 55 level Class Abilities Video here Update: Lightsaber from the-old-republic.ru mailed us a new video showing all the Arkanian gear sets in action. This is live demonstration:
SWTOR-RP Interviews Damion Schubert and Charles Boyd
They guys over at swtor-rp.com got a chance to do an Exclusive Q&A with Damion Schubert and Charles Boyd. The interview is of course about the upcoming Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion, and being a Star Wars: The old Republic Role playing community, the interview covers mostly story and RP questions. Reading through the interview Interveiw we get the feeling the developers answered answered the questions prior to patch 1.7 as they speak about a major new system coming “sooner than you think””. The Q&A Also get’s around Makeb and the new Cathar race. Below is a snippet: SWTOR-RP: Is the planet Makeb a pre-existing planet in Star Wars canon, or is this a completely new planet in lore to be uncovered by players as they travel through it for the first time? Charles Boyd: Makeb is a completely new invention of the Star Wars: The Old Republic team, and personally as a writer, I can’t tell you what an honor it is to have a chance to add something…
SWTOR 2.0 level 55 Class Abilities Video
The guys from the-old-republic.ru mailed us a bad ass movie showing off the new level 55 class abilities. There is no denying that the Russian guys have been quick capturing this video, so kudos for their work! Electro Net, Force Barrier and Double Saber throw look pretty awesome, and its great that agents and smugglers finally get real mobility. The sith sorcerer defensive bubble animation is also exactly how I’d imagine it–as the sith sorcerer uses all their energy to repel all attacks. Good stuff! Check it out below:
Rise of the Hutt Cartel: First Look Video
BioWare just released a new trailer for the upcoming expansion: Rise of the Hutt Cartel. The video is only around 1 minute long, but shows some interesting footage of the planet and what seems to be new armor. At the same time as the release of this video, BioWare have updated the RotHC homepage RoTHC pre-orders now get a mini-pet, Title, and Holo-statue. All players that pre-order Rise of the Hutt Cartel will receive an exclusive Title, Holostatue, and Mini-Pet when the Digital Expansion launches. The Dr. Oggurobb Hutt Holostatue Train under the illustrious Hutt scientist Dr. Oggurobb with this portable training device that he created in his own image. “”Scourge of the Hutts” Title Republic and Imperial forces that adorn this title will be feared and revered across the galaxy. The Makrin Seedling Mini-Pet Get your very own Makrin Creeper to follow you around and “creep” out your enemies! Possessing bark-like skin and grass-like nerve-rich…
BioWare are hiring playtesters for Rise of the Hutt Cartel!
Are you living in the Austin area? BioWare Austin is hiring temporary playtesters for the “Rise of the Hutt Cartel” digital expansion coming to Star Wars: The Old Republic. Current and former players of all experience levels are encouraged to apply. SKILLS/REQUIREMENTS Must be 18 years of age or older Must not have previous professional game development experience Strong verbal communication skills Comfortable giving objective feedback (positive and negative) in a group setting Passion for SWTOR or other massively-multiplayer online games Available to work weekends
First Digital Expansion Announced for SWTOR: Rise of the Hutt Cartel
BioWare updated their webise this morning with a new addition to the swtor.com/buy page. It’s now possible to pre-order the first ever expansion for Star Wars: The old republic, named Rise of the Hutt Cartel. The sales page also reveals new details regarding price, content and of course, how to pre-order. The drop date listed is Spring 2013. Here is the run down: Continue your Star Wars™ saga with a new level cap of 55. Experience new epic story content with fully-voiced cinematic conversations. New Planet: Makeb – Explore a vibrant alien landscape. Subscribers save 50% off the Regular Price – Only £5.99 (£11.99 Regular Price). Receive five (5) days of Early Access* if you Pre-Order by January 7, 2013 11:59PM CT // 5:59AM GMT! The page also includes a new FAQ about the new expansion. In it, there is a pretty lengthy description of what players can expect with the release of Rise of the…