While fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of SWTOR free-to-play, the developers have been hard at work behind the scenes preparing the content for the new Game Update 1.5. In today’s developer blog, they go into more detail for us, explaining to two main portions of the game update: Section X and HK-51 missions. They also share some info about storylines and what we can expect with the new game content. Be Warned: There are also spoilers about certain in-game storylines but you can avoid this because you have to be logged into the site to see them. Game Update 1.5 returns us to the story unfolding on Belsavis. Here is a snippet from the dev blog about Section X: Section X introduces a new set of daily repeatable missions for both Imperial and Republic players, including two new Heroics. These missions offer more rewards than any previous daily…
News
SWTOR Goes Free to Play November 15th!
The time has finally arrived- time for SWTOR to go free to play. Tomorrow is the big day and those who have been waiting for the F2P options to return to the game or to check it out for the first time will not have to wait any longer. While we await the free to play model of the game, the developers have been busy ramping things up for the new update- 1.5. This isn’t just a game switch to free to play; they also have new content, new zones and missions and loads more story. So if you’re just now getting into the game, there’s no better time. To try SWTOR for yourself for free, just visit the official website: SWTOR.com They currently have free to play preview videos, news and updates, info about game update 1.5 and information about cartel coins and what is being awarded to those…
The Old Republic Annihilation Releases Today!
The time has finally arrived and The Old Republic Annihilation is released today! We’ve been bringing you the updates as we waiting, unsure of the exact date for the book release but knowing it was coming soon. Now that day has finally arrived. Drew Karpyshyn himself tells us a little about this story and why he is excited for its release: I’m very excited for Annihilation to come out, because it’s a bit of a different take on the Star Wars universe for me. For startes, Theron Shan – the main character – isn’t a Jedi or a Sith. That’s a pretty big change from characters like Bane and Revan, who are in large part defined by their relationship with the awesome power of the Force. But Annihilation also has a different feel than some of my previous novels. The Publisher’s synopsis of Annihilation tells us more about the general story: “”The Sith Empire…
SWTOR Free-to-Play: 6 Reasons You Should Try It
SWTOR free-to-play is coming in just two more days on November 15th. If you have always wanted to play the game, now is the perfect time. If you played in the beta or even tried it when it first came out and quit, there are some very compelling reasons why you should consider trying it again now that it’s free to play. Let’s take a look at 6 reasons you should try SWTOR: It’s Free- What better reason is there than “free”? There is nothing to risk in a free game. How can you be sure you get more than you pay for? Play a free game, of course. There will be subscription options for those who want to upgrade and getting something more from the game. Great value for a free game- Okay, free is cool but let’s face it; we all know that you get what you pay…
Star Wars 7 Rumor Roundup: Harrison Ford returning to Star Wars? … and much more
Everyone is talking about Star Wars: Episode 7, what it’s going to be about and who will play key roles in the new film in 2015. According to sources linked to the sequel, Harrison Ford is open to bringing Han Solo back to the big screen. Entertainment Weekly Inside Movies has more: “Harrison is open to the idea of doing the movie and he’s upbeat about it, all three of them are,” said one highly placed source, referring to Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher, the trio that made a hyper-speed jump to global fame on May 25, 1977, the opening night for George Lucas’s original Star Wars film. The actor, now 70, is plenty proud of Indy, Jack Ryan, John Book, and Dr. Richard Kimble but in the past he didn’t disguise his disdain for Solo. “As a character he was not so interesting to me,” the frosty Ford explained in…
Cartel Coin Reward Program Extended
BioWare announced that former subscribers coming back to Star Wars: The old republic to try thee Free To Play version of the game, have until December 20th to re subscribe and still obtain their Cartel Coin rewards! Check out the full announcement below: Today we are excited to announce that the global launch date of the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Free-to-Play option will be November 15, 2012. This release will be simultaneous across all of the territories and countries The Old Republic™ is available. If you’re a paying Subscriber at the launch of the Free-to-Play option on November 15th, you will be granted all of the Complimentary Cartel Coins currently listed on your Cartel Coin Ledger page, plus a one-time grant of 250 Complimentary Cartel Coins! Additionally, we are extending the Rewards Program! All former subscribers who reactivate their subscription by the new date of December 20, 2012 at…
BioWare Tweets SWTOR Free to Play Releases November 15
If you’ve been waiting for the set date for the new free to play model of SWTOR, it’s finally here. BioWare released a press conference call to major gaming outlets/ fansites yesterday and this morning, they officially tweeted the news about the date. Star Wars: The Old Republic Free-to-play option is coming November 15, the same time as Game Update 1.5! — Electronic Arts UK (@electronicarts) November 8, 2012 In addition to the news that Free to Play will officially be here next week on the 15th, we also know that it’s coming with the official launch of game update 1.5, which is set to be a huge turning point in the game with many new features and loads of new content. In this press conference call, BioWare revealed some great info about game changes and details. Christine and Producer Cory Butler discussed F2P and Update 1.5 with us yesterday. They explained…
Celebrating 4 Years of SWTOR Strategies
The big day is here again and we’re breaking out the confetti and party balloons and sharing some virtual cake with all of you- our loyal readers! SWTOR Strategies is celebrating 4 years on the Net today. Last year on this date, we were still looking at about 2 months for the launch of SWTOR. It’s amazing how far things have come in just one short year. Not only did the game launch with a bang, but we’re seen some very rocky roads since then. In the past 10 months, players have loved and hated SWTOR and now with the 1 year anniversary of launch on the way, the game is looking to go to a new free-to-play model which many fans are very excited about. This new F2P option may bring back a lot of players who left the game as well as draw in new players who weren’t…
Community Cantina Tour – Austin, TX
BioWare is continuing there road trip, and this time the event bus hit’s Austin Texas. Below are the Austin information. We’re happy to announce that the next stop in the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Community Cantina Tour will be happening on Friday, November 16th here in Austin, home of the game’s development team! This is your chance to join the community for a development team Q&A as well as complimentary drinks*, food, and giveaways including highly coveted codes for an in-game Tauntaun Fawn! If you’re in the area, make sure to stop by and hang out with us! Venue: Mister Tramps Date: Friday, November 16th, 2012 Time: 7-10PM CST Address: 8565 Research Blvd Austin, TX 78758 We look forward to seeing you there! -The Star Wars: The Old Republic Community Team * THIS IS AN ADULT EVENT AND ALL ATTENDEES MUST BE OF LEGAL DRINKING AGE TO PARTICIPATE. PLEASE…
Daniel Erickson hires Emmanuel Lusinchi to Bluepoint Games
Could some of the old BioWare team get back together to work on a new project? It’s a theory we tossed out there back when the news of many key BioWare players leaving was first revealed. Well today Twitter gave us a little more insight into this very topic! A tweet from former BioWare develop Daniel Erickson today confirms Emmanuel Lusinchi has left or will be soon leaving BioWare to start work at Bluepoint as a Lead Designer. There were previous rumors about Lusinchi leaving but nothing solid or in the public until this tweet today: — Daniel Erickson (@DanielAErickson) November 5, 2012 I have to admit that it’s tough to see how passionately these developers and designers talked about SWTOR earlier this year at the Guild Summit and now they are dropping off like flies. These are people who put their heart and soul into their work and for those of…
Community Developer Blog: HK-51 Classified Intel
James B. Jones stopped by the community developer blog for an update on HK-51. Co-author of the Star Wars™ : The Old Republic Encyclopedia, Jones knows a lot about SWTOR. He shared some exciting classified intel about the new HK-51 companion character in Game Update 1.5! Here’s a snippet from the blog: Though the HK-51 model is outfitted with all the features of his predecessors, several upgrades are also included in the package. Practical use suggested that overly-ambitious engineers may have programmed previous HK models to be a little too bloodthirsty. Make no mistake—the HK-51 model still relishes violence in all its forms, but efficiency is now its guiding directive rather than brutality. Field tests have proven that the HK-51 model is far more reliable and effective in combat due to these upgrades. Despite the emphasis on efficiency, HK-51’s primary directive is still to eliminate his target at any cost….
Drew Karpyshyn on Annihilation and the Disney Buyout of Lucasfilm
Drew Karpyshyn gives some input on the Disney buyout of Lucasfilm over on his blog and he talks to us about Annihilation deets and why you should pre-order it through his official website (more $$$ for Drew ). When asked how he thinks the buyout will affect the Star Wars books, games and more, he replied: Honestly, I have no idea. It may have almost zero impact. It may have a huge impact. More likely it will fall somewhere in between. Disney says they want to make more movies; as a fan I think more SW films is probably a good thing. But beyond that, I’m in wait and see mode just like everyone else. But when it comes to the upcoming release of Star Wars: Annihilation, Drew had many great things to say: I’ve just updated my Novels page with some more info about the book and why I think it’s my…
Tosche Station Radio #35: Buyout
Brian and Nanci from Tosche Station + Dunc from clubjade.net discuss the Disney buyout and episode 7 What led Brian and Nanci to call an emergency episode of Tosche Station Radio? Well, none other than the big Disney buyout of Lucasfilm. It’s not surprising really, since everyone is talking about this buyout and how it seemed to come out of left field and completely unexpected. What is interesting, however, is what they talked about. Lots of great points brought up in this emergency episode of Tosche Station Radio! What’s it all about? The notes are brief, because we’re only talking about one thing: Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm and the announcement of new Star Wars films (our post/Club Jade’s post). Hosts Nanci and Brian are joined by Dunc from Club Jade to try and make sense of the big news and offer insight as to what this might mean for the future of the Galaxy Far, Far…
Electronic Arts Q2 2013 Earnings Conference Call and SWTOR
The Electronic Arts Q2 2013 Earnings Conference Call revealed a few tidbits about SWTOR and as you know, we’re always looking for any new piece of information at this point. The haters also latch on to these earnings calls, looking for reasons to say that SWTOR is a sinking ship, but we’re not ready to dub it the TORtanic just yet. In fact, we have high hopes, as does EA, that the new free-to-play model will turn things around and generate a new or returned interest in the game. So did the call reveal anything useful about SWTOR and the future of the game? Well, it was mentioned a little, as no surprise since this game has been a huge investment for EA as a company and investors are eager to see if it’s going to pay off in the long term after those short term initial sales last year. Here are…
The Numbers Show SWTOR Isn’t Dying
People tend to take on a “the sky is falling” attitude when things don’t go as planned and gamers are no exception. We are judgmental and opinionated and we want our games to be fantastic. If they don’t hit the nail on the head at the start, we call it a flop. Some are labeling SWTOR in the fail category, but is it really? One member of the SWTOR community started an interesting thread on the forums to show the real numbers behind the game and in comparison to other games. He shows that it’s all about perspective when it comes to how you look at the game. These numbers can give a little more perspective to the whole picture: Direct MMO competitors with a subscription or subscription + F2P model (Western Subscription numbers only): World of Warcraft has ~5.1 million players SWTOR has between 1mil-500k players. Eve Online has…
Disney Set to Purchase Lucasfilm and make ‘Star Wars: Episode 7’
If you’ve been waiting for some new Star Wars movies, then the time has finally come! Walt Disney Pictures has issued a press release announcing that the company has “agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd.” This is HUGE news that can greatly change the future of the Star Wars franchise. According to the press release: Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company (DIS) has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas. Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments. This is not the first film company that Disney…
EverQuest Next’s Design Scrapped: SOE cites SWTOR, Rift, The Secret World as Reason
Sony Online Entertainment’s EverQuest Next was billed as “the largest sandbox MMO ever designed“ but sadly, it will never be seen by gamers- at least not in the way we first thought. SOE has now decided to scrap the original design for the 3rd installment of EverQuest. As a long time EQ fan, I was interested in hearing more about the reasons for this and how the game design would move forward. Massively talks to John Smedley about it: Massively: Let’s start with EQ Next. When did you make the call to scrap everything? What was it that made you choose to do so? John Smedley: A year and a half ago, we made that decision. I didn’t get to cover this in the keynote, so I should mention it here. The engine and underlying technology has not changed. A lot of the guts and infrastructure are staying the same. What we’re…
Subscribers Not Charged Credits for Skill Point Re-specializations
In the news of what benefits subscribers will get, came some very exciting news about re-specializations. Amber Green, Live Community Coordinator, posted a thread on the SWTOR forums that lists the benefits to subscribers. Of this was the news that subscribers will not be charged credits for skill point re-specs. How many people do you think will subscribe just for this benefit alone? Chances are high that players will opt in just to know how many credits they can save from being able to re-spec when and how they need to. Here are some other details from that forum post: Highlights Travel to Section X on Belsavis and learn why the nefarious Dread Guard has seized control of this ravaged sector of the planet! Section X can be accessed on Belsavis and via the daily mission shuttles. HK-51 can now be acquired as a Companion Character! A shipment of the…
Developer Update 10/25: FTP Changes Coming Soon
For those of you on the PTS who have been reporting bugs and giving feedback on the game, your voices are being heard. A recent developer update tells us that there will be some important and interesting changes coming very soon. The forum thread will tell you the full changes and updates but here are some highlights. Free-to-Play players will now get a second quickslot bar. Free-to-Play players will now be able to do 5 Warzones per week instead of 3. The Cartel Coin item lock (i.e. temporary bind) will be reduced to 3 days for Free-to-Play players, and 2 days for subscribers. They added that they found some crucial bugs that needed stomping, which is good. These changes will make their way to the PTS by early next week. Here is some more from that post: There are a couple of key concepts that should be kept in mind…
Introducing Preferred Player Status
Preferred Player status is incoming and many SWTOR fans are curious just what this means. Will certain parts of the game be unplayable without preferred player status? Will certain zones or features in the game not be in access? All great questions and BioWare took to the forums to clear it all up for us. So just what will preferred player status mean? Here’s the breakdown and explanation from the forums: As a Preferred Status Player, you will gain the following benefits compared to Free-to-Play Players: • The Sprint ability at Level 1 • Access to your Cargo Hold (an 80 item Player Bank) • Access to Secure Trade (starting at level 10) • The ability to send Mail, including one (1) attachment • Increased allowance for chat message frequencies in Public chat channels (such as /general) • An increased Credits Cap • Access to the Who List • Three…
Inserting, Removing, and REing Crafted Mods for Schems is “Unintended” but Not an Exploit
Reverse engineering mods is expensive, especially when you are trying to build up a nice stock of schematics to place on the GTN. When you’re a new player trying to gear up, this can be a real hassle. But there has been a new “trick” found that makes it a little bit easier by bypassing this altogether. The real question is: Is this an exploit? A forum user explains: SomeJagoff As is already known, when you try to RE other people’s crafted mods, it says no research available, however, as I pulled out a mod that I know I bought off the gtn a few months ago to replace with a better one, I noticed that it said 20% chance to research a schem available. Out of curiosity, I threw the new mod that I just bought off the GTN into my armor, then pulled it out, same thing, research…
DarthHater Data-mined Wookie Life Day! Yes it’s Coming!
Lots of exciting news coming out about 1.5 and upcoming SWTOR news, free to play and the Cartel Market. With all of this, the crew over at DarthHater found something else cool. DarthHater discovered something pretty interesting when updating their database yesterday with all the new items included in the PTS patch. They found evidence of a Star Wars-centric holiday event called Wookiee Life Day. How cool is that? This could be a new World Event for the Christmas holiday season. Since the original Star Wars Holiday Special centered around the Wookiee celebration of Life-Day, this gives a lot of opportunity to work this into the game. Here’s the stuff that DarthHater found: Items Life Day Orb Life Day Holiday Holo-Tree Life Day Vestments Life Day Lower Robe Life Day Boots So what do you think? Would you participate in a world event like this? Do you want to see…
BioWare Speaks on the Cartel Market
Do you have questions about the Cartel Market? After the update to the public test server (PTS) yesterday, there were many questions coming from the community about the free-to-play cartel market and how this will work. Will items disappear? What does the timer mean? Can you still trade an item if it is modified? Lots of great questions are arising! BioWare answered these questions and provided info on some other areas of the cartel market and how it will work. See below: Allison Berryman I can clarify that the item will not disappear after the timer is over – after that time period, the item is no longer bound to you and can be traded! Allison Berryman The items do not disappear after 5 days; after the timer expires, they are no longer bound to the player and can be traded. Please also remember that we are currently testing the…
SWTOR Nominated for Ultimate Game of Year + Best MMO
Where other MMORPGs have text boxes, SWTOR has lavish cut-scenes and full voice acting. Join either the Sith or the Republic and carve out your own amazing Star Wars legend. Do you love SWTOR? Want to see it recognized with a gaming award? This might be your chance. SWTOR is nominated for Ultimate Game of the Year and Best MMO over at Golden Joystick. It’d be great for SWTOR fans to see the game take a golden gong in either category this year. And now you can literally see it because it’s all going to be streamed live on their site and synced on YouTube. The Gamemaster Golden Joystick Awards are turning 30 this year (just like me) and this year the celebrations are going even bigger. In addition to SWTOR, you will see other fun and popular games named at the awards such as Angry Birds and Skyrim. VOTING…