Lego Star Wars has a lot to answer for when it comes to fan-made Star Wars films. Thanks to the accessibility of the medium, and the fact that the internet has somewhat unfortunately made everyone with a camera believe they’re an auteur, there are roughly a million youtube videos featuring the iconic plastic toys, and about 98% of them are unwatchable trash. Praise be to Jabba’s Belly then for those members of that sorry 2% who make it through the net and into my lap, because they can be genuinely brilliant pieces of work, like the following two films, posted by Dzine123, which offer an irreverent and hyper-speed version of both Star Wars trilogies to date. They’ve been around for a while now, but they’re still just about the most awesome thing I’ve seen in a while. And then there’s the Prequels… Dzine123 is already something of a legend in…
How Stuff Works: Battle meditation
Battle meditation was a manifestation of the Force which instilled in the meditator’s allies a greater morale in battle and reduced the enemy’s will to fight. Using the Force, one could coordinate entire fleets of ships, allowing them to perform at maximum efficiency, acting as one to counter every enemy move quickly and effectively. A refinement of battle meditation was known as Force Meld. This Force-power was first made famous by the ancient Jedi Odan-Urr, Arca Jeth and Nomi Sunrider. It was also practiced by Bastila Shan, as well as later Jedi Council members Yarael Poof and Oppo Rancisis, who used it in both the Stark Hyperspace War and the Clone Wars. Bastila Shan supporting the Republic Navy in 3,956 BBY in the Battle of Rakata Prime. (Note: visible Force powers are only a gameplay element.) Battle Meditation was not merely province of the light side; Emperor Palpatine and Grand…
Esseles Flashpoint – more gameplay videos
Last Fridays update gave us a developer walk-through of “The Esseles”, one of the earlier flashpoints in the game. An interesting video with commentary provided by Director of Production Dallas Dickinson. Today a few more videos from the Flashpoint has hit the internet. Check them out below:
Red Rancor Joins FTW Broadcasting in SWTOR FTW Video Series
SWTOR Strategies has been following FTW Broadcasting for a while now, and a recent announcement on their You Tube Channel caught our eye: Red Rancor is joining FTW as a video “contributor” and just released their first video as part of the FTW Team. If you aren’t already familiar with Red Rancor’s V-Cast Series, Ashral covers SWTOR Headlines, Friday Updates, Discusses a Topic of the Week, and answers Fan Questions in his “Mailbag” segment. We love the KOTOR music he uses, and the chilled out tone of the show: In addition to the V-Cast, FTW Broadcasting has their SWTOR FTW Weekly News show that wraps up the entire week’s SWTOR news in 15 mins. This Weeks Episode was about Operations, Sales, Advanced Classes, Sanctuary, and Guilds: You can subscribe to their channel if you like what you see. Let us know what you think in the comments…
Know your Lore: Odan-Urr
Odan-Urr was a long-lived Draethos male, who served as a Jedi Master and Jedi librarian during the height of the Galactic Republic. He preferred reading and studying rather than combat, though he was a master of the little known Jedi art of battle meditation. He was trained by the Celegian Jedi Master Ooroo. Odan-Urr was a Jedi Padawan in 5,000 BBY, and during his time as the Watchman of Koros, he had a series of visions depicting the impending Sith invasion. He and his Jedi companion, Memit Nadill, attempted to warn the Galactic Senate of the Sith attack, but the Senate refused to listen. However, Odan-Urr had the backing of the armies of Empress Teta, and participated in the Battle of Kirrek, where Naga Sadow‘s Sith Empire attempted to crush the Republic. The Republic emerged victorious, though only at the expense of the life of Master Ooroo. In the aftermath…
Zoeller says No Killing Companions in SWTOR
If you were getting excited about the opportunity to kill your companions in SWTOR, then prepare to have your bubble busted. Georg Zoeller has been speaking out lately about companion characters, how they will interact with us within the game as well as on the removal of the permanent death system. What original sounded like a good idea now seems impractical. There will be now be no killing of companions in SWTOR, according to Zoeller on the official forums. He explains this decision in full detail in his post. It seems a few things have happened to make this feature not practical. Zoeller says: “A number of things happened: Companions, since that feature was created, have become even more integral to the game: They run your crafting missions. They are vital to your PVE combat performance. They allow you to substitute for missing roles in flashpoints. They are at your…
(Amateur) Statistical Analysis: Class/Faction Popularity by Amount of Discussion on Official Forums
Here is an interesting post we found on Reddit where an amateur statistic analysis is done based on class and faction popularity according to discussion from the official forums. A lot of people have been talking about who will play which side and which classes as well as how this will affect the balance of the game. Here are the highlights from his findings: OVERALL Republic classes are being discussed more than Sith classes. On average, the Jedi Knight is the most discussed class (though the Bounty Hunter technically has the most # of threads). The Imperial Agent is the least discussed class. AMONG REPUBLIC CLASSES: Jedi Knight is the most discussed. Smuggler is the least discussed. AMONG SITH CLASSES: Bounty Hunter is the most discussed. Imperial Agent is least discussed. Check it all out for yourself and let us know if you think he’s on the right track…
The Guild Sphere: Kings Destroyers
Another week, another guild feature. This time “Kings Destroyers” took the time to answer a few question about there guild. Check it out below: Where did your guilds name come from? The name was conceived by a good friend of mine and myself in 2008 for the game Age of Conan. The idea behind Kings Destroyers is that we are the destroyers of Kings; Kings being a metaphor for tyranny and oppression. Can you give me a quick 2-3 sentence description of your guild? We are a laid-back guild whose focus is in creating a community of mature players. No member is limited based on class, skill, or gear choices; we strive to help each other grow. When running PvE instances or PvP groups, we focus on the task at hand while still retaining a comfortable and relaxed environment. How did your guild come about? To be honest, it was because of the tiring…
Why Story Matters (Video)
When it comes to SWTOR, we hear talk about story more than anything else about the game. In this video, SWTOR: Listen, Learn and Explore we can discuss story and how much emphasis has been put on it for this game. It talks about why the story is so important and how the world can unfold in a great game with an excellent storyline. This can truly change the game BioWare storytelling takes it a step beyond your typical game story. It really implements decisions and choices. Everything is connected and everything has a reason and a purpose in the game, including the player. Now BioWare is bringing this to the MMORPG scene like it has never been done before. Telling a story in multiplayer can be a real challenge but BioWare takes that challenge on here with SWTOR. This video explores that.
Faction lore: Jedi Order
The Jedi Order was an ancient and noble monastic peacekeeping organization unified by its belief and observance of the Force. The Jedi were the guardians of peace and justice in the Galactic Republic, and became the most famous of the various groups that relied on the Force for their power. Led by a series of Jedi Councils, the Order grew over the millennia despite facing many trials, most often threats from the Sith, wielders of the dark side of the Force. Origins and brief history of the Order Since the beginning and most likely before the Galactic Republic, scientists had been studying the Force and its connection to midi-chlorians. This research was conducted most notably by the Paladins of the Chatos Academy, The Followers of Palawa and the Order of Dai Bendu, on planets like Ondos and Had Abbadon. The Jedi Order itself, however, began on Tython, where the brightest…
Friday Update: “The Esseles” Developer Walkthrough
This weeks Friday update brings us a developer walk-through of “The Esseles”, one of the earlier flashpoints in the game. The flashpoint is Republic only and tasks players with protecting a diplomat from Sith boarding parties. Commentary is provided by Director of Production Dallas Dickinson. The Esseles, a Republic transport that carries some of the most high-profiled members of the Galactic Senate across the galaxy, has come under siege from the opportunistic Grand Moff Kilran. Dallas Dickinson guides you along as a group of Republic heroes must band together to repel the Imperial boarding parties and retake their ship in this Developer Walkthrough.
Exclusive interview with BioWare’s Gabe Amatangelo
German magazine GameStar.de scored an exclusive interview with Gabe Amatangelo of BioWare to discuss Operations which has fans across the globe excited. Operations are the SWTOR version of raiding and guilds and individuals alike are anxious to see any info they can about it. The September issue of this German magazine looks like a lead-up to gamescom, coming up in August in Cologne, Germany. This could mean more new reveals about SWTOR, possibly even about Operations but we’ll have to wait to know for sure. Forum user Cebo has a thread on the official forums about it with people jumping in to help translate. If you speak German, you can go straight to the original source and check it out for yourself. Cebo offers a partial translation that confirms some fun details about operations such as: 8-man and 16-man raid/Operation sizes Badges to purchase items Different difficulty settings based on…
Top 5 Questions and Answers from Comic Con
San Diego Comic Con gave us all one more glimpse into SWTOR and what we have to look forward to. There were interviews, panels and Q&A questions like never before as we hear the news of pre-orders opening and we grow closer and closer to an actual release date. So what were the top five questions from Comic Con? What about the top five answers? It seems like with every question that gets answered, three more questions open up. It’s exciting but frustrating at the same time as we near the eventual release date. The Tor Report brought us the top five questions and answers from SDCC and you can check out the full list for yourself. Here are some highlights: Mass testing will begin in September. The appearance of companions will be customizable. Info on how the two factions will interact. More questions: Will the pre-order digital item perks…
Facebook Image of The Week #22
For some reason BioWare updated there facebook page with a new screenshot late this week. But here it is: A group of Republic heroes consults with the commanding officer of the Esseles after their ship comes under attack from an Imperial aggressor.
Interesting screenshot: Modular Equipment
Fans not lucky enough to get into a beta or player trial of SWTOR are hanging onto every little piece of news they can get to tell them something more about the game before release. Screen shot leaks from beta are one way that some of us are getting a sneak peek into the game and what it might hold. While it’s important to remember that anything released early, especially from a beta, is subject to change. In fact, it probably will change- several times- before making it to the final version of the game. However, sometimes there is a screenshot that really gets you excited or makes you think. We found one today that shows modular equipment and really brings the concept to life. This screenie posted on Reddit shows what we have heard referred to a few times before. Remember when it was said that you could start…
Star Wars: The Old Republic Breaks EA Pre-order Record
As we reported with yesterday’s EA Q1 Earnings Conference Call, Electronic Arts is doing pretty good with SWTOR. But just how good is that? Well, apparently they have broken their record for pre-order sales for a game. According to EA’s Q1 FY12 Financial Results they have the fastest pre-ordered title in the history of EA in just the first five days. EA’s previous pre-order record was set by Battlefield 3, while SWTOR far exceed BF3‘s pre-order sales, beating their expectations. “We’re well over 200,000 pre-orders in the first five or six days. From an EA perspective, that is significantly greater than any other EA title we’ve ever had in the first week,” said the company’s finance chief, Eric Brown. President Frank Gibeau said, “In September, we will be in a position to call the ball and give you a hard ship date””. That means the rest of us will have…
Fatal Alliance vs. Deceived via Mark Pajor
The guys over at Corellian Run have some things to say about the characters of two SWTOR novels. Well actually, one guy in particular, Mark Pajor (@mpajor on Twitter) has an interesting write-up about the novels. Mark admits to never reading a Star Wars novel before this but decides he should become familiar with all areas of the lore, as he hopes to be a writer for Bioware one day (wouldn’t we all, Mark?) so he takes up Fatal Alliance and Deceived. I have yet to read them either so I appreciate Mark taking the time to give us some info. He starts off: “Fatal Alliance was my first Star Wars novel, and it confirmed all of my fears and reservations of reading one. Deceived, on the other hand, relieved my distaste quite a bit. Now, there’s a lot I could complain about writing-wise for both books. Instead, I’m going…
Imperial Agent talent trees leaked- Medic/Operative
Someone leaked screenies of the Imperial Agent talent trees over at Alter SWTOR today. They are interesting to say the least, but have some people questioning whether or not they are legit. As with anything that is leaked during a closed beta, we can’t be 100% certain it’s real unless we have played the game ourselves. And even if it is real, there is the disclaimer that this is just beta and many things- talents and talent trees included- are subject to change by the time the game releases. So while it may be little more than speculation, let’s go ahead and entertain the idea that these leaks might be legit and take a look. We get a nice peak at the UI, the talents and what levels they will be available to the class. We also get some info on what each ability does, the cooldowns and the amount…
‘Blasters, Beggars & Credits: Schubert Says No Infinite Money’
Lots of interesting news is coming out this week about SWTOR, much of it from SDCC. When it comes to the latest TOR news, we have got you covered. However, every now and then there is a post that someone else has just already covered better or that is exclusive to another fansite or news source but we have to bring it to you here because it’s interesting. Today, Ask A Jedi had one such post. This one comes from Momus, long-time reader and first time author. He talks economics- something that makes the MMO world go ‘round and tells us about two interesting interviews with Damion Schubert, Lead Systems Designer for The Old Republic. Important points made in the post: “Cost of sending companions on missions exceeds the vendor cost of materials returned Anticipating supply/demand economies (not a huge reveal there, I’m afraid) Won’t be able to just gather…
Interviewing Vette
Being a gamer girl and Star Wars geek myself, I was excited to see this exclusive interview by TORWars with actress Catherine Taber. If you don’t know who she is by looking at her, you’re sure to know her voice. She played Mission Vao in KOTOR the voice of Numa in The Clone Wars, and she’s also the voice of Padme Amidala in The Clone Wars. Now she has a new role and it’s a pretty important one for upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic. Taber plays Vette, the blue skinned Twi’lek companion character that we have all seen in advertisements and videos for SWTOR. Taber was at SDCC and was kind enough to take the time to give TORWars an exlcusive interview which they have up for the rest of us to enjoy as well. They talk with Taber about the roles she’s played, her voice acting and what…
Electronic Arts Q1 2012 Earnings Conference Call Live Blog
Today was the EA Q1 2012 Earnings Conference Call and we were interested in one thing- what they had to say about SWTOR. With this game being the pinnacle of the company at this time, you can guarantee they had a few things to say about it on the call. Here is an overview of the highlights of the call: John Riccitiello says that there were strong preorders for The Old Republic. He goes on to say, “Origin will scale quickly with Battlefield 3 and Star Wars: The Old Republic later this year.” Frank Gibeau says, “SWTOR targeted to launch in Holiday 2011, is able to ship with a variety of launch dates.” He adds to expect higher revenue from subscriptions for The Old Republic. John Riccitiello says, “We will launch SWTOR and battle to take a slice of the MMO market.” The conference calls move into the question and…
Bringing Generations Together
I wrote yesterday about how SWTOR was set to be a game to span decades. It’s also a game that seems to bring generations together. I’ve actually met countless people when talking about SWTOR who say they will be playing with their children, parents, siblings and other friends and family. My mom is 50 and she’s a big Star Wars fan. She’s interested in the game because of the storyline. My 5-year-old plays Lego Star Wars on his DSi and is just as excited that mommy will be playing TOR. But we’re not the only ones who have seen that SWTOR can bring generations together. Hellsworn made a heartfelt and interesting post about it on the official forums recently. He says: “So I am a older player. in my mid 40’s. So Star Wars in near and dear to my heart as it brings back very fond memories of my…
Video Roundup – the international pre-order madness
FTWBroadcasting has released an in depth video about the international pre-order madness. It includes videos, articles, and answers to many of the key questions out there for the international community.
Actual Confirmation – No Region IP block
When it comes to region blocks and no SWTOR on initial release to certain areas of the globe, there have been many, many questions. Allison Berryman, Senior Community Coordinator for SWTOR attempted to clear up some of the questions on the official SWTOR forums. In a post from earlier, Berryman explains: “Hello everyone. We know that you have questions about this topic, and we hope to have more clarification for you all very soon. For those who may not have seen Stephen Reid‘s tweets from this weekend regarding some of these subjects, I’d like to share that information here. Regarding whether the game will block players from some regions by IP address: currently, there is no plan to block players from the game by regional IP blocking. Playing on servers physically distant from your location might mean you experience some issues with latency, but at this time we don’t plan…