Servers will be going down tomorrow for scheduled maintenance. We don’t have the patch notes yet, but we know from a forum post by Eric Musco, that Companion power and healing is being reduced in 4.0.2 tomorrow. Date: November 17th, 2015 Time: 5AM – 9AM PST (1PM – 5PM GMT) Version: 4.0.2 Hey folks, I wanted to post a reminder, discussion of datamined content is not permitted on the forums. Doing so can lead to action being taken against your account up to and including infractions, which lead to suspension time. Let’s cover the elephant in the room. Yes, Companion power and healing is being reduced in 4.0.2 tomorrow. Tait will be posting patch notes and we will be discussing these changes more later today. However, until that time, please remember that posting any type of specifics about these changes are datamined and are not permitted. Thanks everyone. -eric Stay tuned for…
The ‘Star Wars: Battlefront’ Review Situation Is More Than A Little Bizarre
EA has had a “review event” for Star Wars: Battlefront. During this there were outlets invited to play the game before the launch on servers designed to simulate live environments. The review for impressions of the gameplay from the event that was held lands on the day of the games launch. Neither one of these things are too much out of the ordinary. Review events aren’t actually the best things ever, however, for a game that is nearly entirely based on multiplayer, we understand playing it the way it should be played, with fully populated servers and all. However the problem is that the embargo coming after the event doesn’t make any sense. Why, you may ask? Because of EA Access. Anybody who signs up for EA Access has the ability to play the entire game of Star Wars: Battlefront for 10 hours. You can go through all ten of…
EA Rep May Have Influenced Reddit Mods To Censor Battlefront Critics
An ex-moderator for Reddit is stating that EA offered Star Wars: Battlefront alpha access and other items in exchange for them to delete any negative posts on Reddit. There are many Star Wars fans that are insanely excited for the release of Star Wars: Battlefront next week, but a major disturbance in the Force may have ruined the mood. A Reddit admin says that an EA representative bribed certain moderators to take down negative posts about Battlefront. Allegedly, moderators were given access to Battlefront’s closed alpha to suppress game criticism, while one other user was given tickets to the Star Wars festival and other perks. All of this information started coming to light a few days ago all because of a call for new moderators after a Reddit user agreement breach. “There was a representative from EA directing moderators to remove posts and prevent certain links from being posted,” Reddit…
Fallout 4 Nude Female Mod: Adding a New Look to the Wasteland
If you thought Fallout 4 couldn’t get any more unpredictable, the modding community has once again proven that anything is possible. The Nude Female Mod takes customization to the next level, offering players a completely new visual experience for female characters in the game. If you’re curious or just looking for something different to add to your Fallout 4 adventure, this mod might just be what you’re looking for. Let’s dive into what this mod offers, how it changes the game, and why it’s one of the more entertaining mods out there. What Is the Nude Female Mod for Fallout 4? The Nude Female Mod is a cosmetic modification that replaces the standard female character models in Fallout 4 with nude versions. While it doesn’t impact gameplay mechanics, quests, or character abilities, it does give the game a whole new look. Whether you’re playing for the immersion, the laughs, or…
EA Sponsored Cosplay Photo Shoot
What do you get when Bioware/EA comes together with the most badass promotion company is all of Germany? You get some really awesome professional-grade SWTOR cosplay photographs. The Defcon Unlimited Stuntteam loves to put on a show. They are a live action promotion company who also makes their own costumes. They began as a stuntteam and now they are a group of young friends who have turned their passion into careers and when they get their hands on a SWTOR project, it’s a beautiful thing. These are some images from the photo shoot and we can see how much fun they must have had in this entire process. Here are some more images from the photo shoot: They shared it all in this post on their Facebook: Some of these costumes have been produced by Defcon Unlimited for promotional purposes (Stuntshows) for the game “Star Wars – The Old…
‘Star Wars Battlefront: Twilight Company’ Review: The Story The Game Forgot
If you’re reading this review, then we are sure that you are impatiently waiting until you are able to play Star Wars: Battlefront on your console or PC. You might also be aware that while Battlefront looks like an online multiplayers dream, the game will not have much of a story. Instead of going the traditional route where creators weave a classic Star Wars story into an amazing game, Battlefront is happy enough with its multiplayer hook and no original plot or characters to speak of. Well that may not be entirely true, because Battlefront does have an actual story, it’s just actually playable. In the new book, Star Wars Battlefront: Twilight Company, the author, Alexander Freed, gives life to the war that is happening between the Empire and the Rebellion by focusing on the 61st Mobile Infantry unit, while it battles for freedom against Stormtroopers, Darth Vader, and Star…
KOTFE Level 60 character creation is (Still) bugged
Level 60 character creation is still bugged, so Tait Watson posted an updated on the official forums regarding refunds on the Level 60 tokens. KOTFE Level 60 character creation is bugged | 11.13.2015, 11:38 AM Hey everyone! Over the past few days we’ve seen a marked increase in the number of players submitting Start@60 tickets related to getting their tokens returned, including a number of people who deleted level 61-65 characters expecting to get a token back. So, to reiterate what Eric explained, but also to try and clarify what to expect, here’s a list of things to consider: If you are subscribed using a 7-day Referral, you are not eligible for KotFE, nor do you receive a Start@60 token. If you convert to a full subscription, KotFE, 2 additional character slots and a Start@60 token will then be granted to your account. If you use the token and level…
Putting a Freeze on Your SWTOR Account
What if you had an emergency and you knew you would not be able to play your SWTOR account for an extended period of time but you’d already paid for your subscription? That is exactly what happened to one player and Bioware stepped up to offer a solution. A user who goes by the name Dragoon- on Reddit tells the story of how his father passed away in October and knowing he needed time to deal with his grief and also help his mother and family, he called Bioware to see what they could do for it. He shared his tip-of-the-hat story for all to see: My dad died in the evening of the 20th Oct.. I played less than 2 hours KoftFE before I got the call. Since then I haven’t played Swtor anymore, mainly because I have to take care of my mom, do tons of paperwork and file it…
The Current State of the Journey to The Force Awakens
In March, Disney announced that they would be releasing a bunch of new books and comics in the run-up to The Force Awakens that would give readers an idea of how the galaxy has changed, where the characters have gone, and what to expect from the new movie. There were very high hopes for these books, but have they lived up to the hype? Let’s take a look at the reviews of some of the big titles in the series to find out. We’ll start with the character-specific novels that focus on Han, Luke, and Leia. Greg Rucka’s junior novel, Smuggler’s Run, has a solid rating of 4.5 on Amazon, with 76 reviews. Jason Fry’s The Weapon of a Jedi and Cecil Castellucci’s Moving Target both have similar ratings, though Castellucci’s Leia-focused middle-grade story only has 37 reviews at the moment. These books are quite short, but they’re also very inexpensive, so they make great…
SWTOR Subscriber Rewards Survey
BioWare wan’t your opinion on Subscriber Rewards. What do you think would make it worthwhile to stay subscribed? Subscriber Rewards Survey | 11.12.2015, 04:00 PM Hey folks! One of the things our team is exploring is to continue giving increased value to your subscription time. Example being the additional rewards we issued each month of being a subscriber leading up to Fallen Empire’s launch. After some internal discussion, we decided, why not just go to the source to get some of your feedback as well! At the bottom of this post you will find a link to a survey which will get your insights into the types of things you like, and would like to see as a subscriber reward. If you have time please take a few minutes and fill out the survey. Thanks everyone! -eric
Star Wars: Battlefront – Battle of Jakku Teaser Released
It has been known for a while that Star Wars: Battlefront, the much hyped and hotly anticipated game developed by DICE, set for a November 17, 2015 release, would be tied into the canon pushed forth by Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and that the game would be used to explain some of the storylines from the movie, filling in the canon-gaps specifically with the Battle of Jakku, a downloadable batch of content which will be made available some 3 weeks after the official release of the game. Star Wars: Battlefront was conceived and marketed as the game which would allow gamers to relive some of the most iconic battles of the Star Wars universe, from a novel and immersive perspective and considering that, the addition of the Battle of Jakku, a canon-episode unknown to everyone, is indeed a master-stroke which delivers more than what has been promised. The Battle…
SWTOR concerns regarding accessing future Companions
Eric Musco posted some answers to some of the growing player concerns on companion recruitment. These 4 threads all ask the same questions,can we get answers? | 11.11.2015, 09:53 PM I talked to Matt about Alliance, Companions, and your questions specifically related to accessing future Companions. Between this thread and the ones linked in the OP, I think there are two main questions you are looking to have addressed. Will I need to complete currently available alert Missions to unlock future alert Missions? As of right now, the answer to this is yes. Inside of each Alliance Companion type (Military, Underworld, etc), the Companion recruitment alerts are very much looked at like a Mission chain. Generally, you must complete one alert Mission before you will receive the next. Note that you only need to complete the Mission itself, not necessarily recruit any Companion associated with it. There may be exceptions to…
Star Wars: a short history in video games
Star Wars fans are getting more anxious with each passing day, as we get closer to December when The Force Awakens is released. However, for avid gamers the franchise has never disappeared. From the early day of arcade gaming to recreating Star Wars movies in Lego form, Star Wars is definitely here to stay. Let’s take a look at the history of Star Wars gaming. Star Wars 1983 A widely popular arcade game that used the 3D color vector graphics to show off Luke’s attack on the Death Star in an X-wing fighter is always a beloved classic. Super Star Wars 1992 This beloved SNES title was a 2D running and gunning, equipped with platforming sections and includes piloting vehicles. It had many different playable characters with different actions and abilities. Star Wars: TIE Fighter 1994 This is a MAC and PC sequel to the previous Star Wars: X-Wing. It…
Terminally Ill Daniel Fleetwood who saw ‘Star Wars’ early has died #ForceForDaniel
If you have not yet heard the story of Daniel Fleetwood, get your tissues ready. The 32-year-old is terminally ill, suffering from spindle cell carcinoma, a type of cancer. Recently he found out 90 percent of his lungs are filled with tumors, and this past Tuesday, he beat his doctor’s prognosis giving him just two months to live. “I am pushing through this,” says Daniel, who takes frequent breaks to catch his breath. “I’m still here.” In his interview with PEOPLE, he goes on to explain how he has been a fan of Star Wars most of his life. The Houston, Texas native dreams about the series, follows the message boards and writes fan fiction of it. FLeetwood also had a dying wish: to see the new film The Force Awakens. Unfortunately, there is a good chance Daniel won’t still be living when the movie is released. “If I got to see…
Changes to the Cartel Market — Tuesday November 10 – 17 2015
Here are the weekly cartel market items on sale for the week of November 10 – 17 2015 . New Items Price Helpful links XOXAAN’S ARMOR SET 2600 Items No Longer Available Helpful links SKY CRUISER Price Change Old Price New Price Percent Change Normal Price Helpful links SPECIES UNLOCK: TOGRUTA 450 600 +33% 600
First ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ TV Spot Looks to a New Generation’s Story
Disney has now released what will likely be the first of many TV spots. While we were told that there would be no more official trailers, who can say how many TV spots there will be between now and the big reveal day? While we still know very little about the plot, the latest TV spot and other marketing tells us a bit more. We can see that this will be a bit of a “passing of the torch” kind of story, at least in part. On the light side, we have Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) taking over for Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and over on the dark side, we see Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) promising to finish what Darth Vader started. There’s lots of questions about where Luke is but our guess is this is not going to be revealed until much…
SWTOR Dev Story Roundtable – Valkorion, Family Ties, Star Wars Influences and More
Bioware recently held another roundtable and swtorista was there to cover the event in full detail. She explains the event here: I was invited to attend a press and influencers roundtable online with members of the Bioware team. After a presentation about the Star Fortresses (content available after you finish the Knights of the Fallen Empire expansion storyline) they allowed us to ask non-spoiler questions. The team answering included: Charles Boyd, Lead Writer Michael Ammer, Senior Designer Eric Musco, Community Manager And then goes on to tell us about some really awesome stuff from the roundtable. We learn more about Valkorion, Vaylin, Arcann and Thexan who were introduced to us in the trailer for KotFE. You can really feel the passion from the devs as they describe, ” It kind of just gets at what the heart of Star Wars is – it’s all family drama, and families struggling against each…
SWTOR Subscribers up 33% Since Fallen Empire Announcement
The Electronic Arts Reports Q2 FY16 Financial Results were recently released and gave us some important insight to how SWTOR is responding to the Fallen Empire announcement. In fact, it says that subs are up 33% since. Let’s take a quick look at the overview. From the highlights: Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ subscribers increased 33% since the announcement of the latest expansion at E3, Knights of the Fallen Empire. Over 9.5 million players joined the Star Wars™ Battlefront™ open beta, the largest beta in EA’s history. The game will launch worldwide starting November 17, 2015. Other selected financial highlights: For the quarter, non-GAAP net revenue of $1.146 billion was above guidance of $1.075 billion. Diluted non-GAAP EPS of $0.65 was above guidance of $0.40. Non-GAAP net revenue for EA’s FIFA, Madden NFL and Hockey Ultimate Team™ live services continue to perform well, collectively up 64% year-over-year. EA repurchased 1.8 million…
SWTOR Instant Level 60 Tokens now working
Eric Musco just informed the SWTOR community, that issues with Instant level 60 tokens have been resolved, and they will be back at the cartel market shortly. Hey folks, The issues that many of you were experiencing when making a start at 60 character should now be resolved. We will be restoring the start at 60 token to the Cartel Market shortly. There are multiple different scenarios that your character and start at 60 tokens could be in, I want to cover each of them and what it means for you. I made a start at 60 character, but instead it created a level 1 character and put me on the fleet. I then deleted that character, but my start at 60 token was not restored. You should now see your tokens restored to you when you are at Character select. You can create a level 60 normally now. I…
New Star Wars Battlefront Video Shows Boba Fett, Leia, Han Solo in Action
A brand new video of gameplay for Star Wars: Battlefront has been released online. The video has not been released by publisher EA officially yet, but instead it’s a series of clips that someone has taken from the Star Wars Battlefront website and they have all been pieced together. Not only do you get to see hero characters like Boba Fett, Han Solo, Leia, and the Emperor in battle, but you also get to see different looks from different locations of the game. These areas include Endor, Sullust, Tatooine, and Hoth, where the Empire and Rebels are seen fighting it out not only on land but also in the sky. Star Wars: Battlefront will be released on November 17th on all platforms and this is around a month before Disney releases, The Force Awakens. EA has stated that it believes that Star Wars: Battlefront will be drawing in younger gamers…
SWTOR ExtraLife Event with Many Rewards
Greetings, everyone! I will have the honor to host the first few hours of the SWTOR ExtraLife Live Eventon my Twitch channel Live. Start is ~16GMT or 8AM Pacific. It is organized by Unholy Alliance / Wookiee Mistake and PC_Podcast. The number of rewards, big and small, is unbelievable! For those of you who donate to the good cause more than $20, you will have a chance to win the incredible Sphero BB8 Droid, a real live toy, app-controlled. The requirement for Sphero was a $1000 total amount of donation to the team and it was already met! Next goal is $2000. If… no… WHEN this happens, a new item will be rolled again among the $20+ donations. You will have a chance to win an awesome huge SWTOR Custom Cartel Mega Pack 31 packs (contains packs from all 8 Cartel Store shipments). That’s not where Unholy Alliance and Wookiee Mistake draws the line….
KOTFE Level 60 character creation is bugged
it’s no secret that many players have experienced problems, when trying to create a level 60 character. Players have been reporting this on the forums for some days now, and Eric Musco took the forums explaining what the developers are doing about it. Check it out: KOTFE Level 60 character creation is bugged | 11.04.2015, 03:44 PM Hey folks, We wanted to get some information out about the issue you are experiencing. First off, there is a bug that can occur when you make a level 60 character, it instead creates it as a level 1 and places you on the fleet. Without going too technical, basically the game is moving faster than your account is, which is creating the issue. Here are a few important notes to be aware of: Go slow – When going through the character creation process take your time, watch the Sacrifice trailer that starts…
Thoughts on SWTOR Elder Game Crafting
In the final days before KotFE was released, a series of developer posts were published telling us many of the new things we would experience in the game. Of these, we also saw the Crafting Changes in Fallen Empire developer blog that we previously shared with you. In that, we had an announcement on the Elder Game Crafting along with some basic info about what this would be. SWTOR Economics has taken this section and broken it down more for additional analysis, given us as much information as really anyone has at that point. Andrew talks about reverse engineering, crafting gear, what impact this gear will have on stats, how new material is acquired and more. It’s a good summary of what we know so far with some speculation on how this will affect the game and economics of SWTOR. See here: There is a lot of missing information that will…
SWTOR Patch Notes 4.0.1a
Servers are back up after a short maintenance today. Here are the patch notes: Patch Notes 4.0.1a General Multiple server side performance and logging-related changes. Missions + NPCs Imperial Agents are now able to summon SCORPIO from the Companions & Contacts UI if she has been acquired.