We love Star Wars and we love comics. As fans, it can be difficult to picture a world without Star Wars and quite frankly, why would we want to? But such a time did exist and we have one name to thank for helping end that dark era in Star Wars history: Dark Horse EUCantina.net brings us some interesting news about Dark Horse Comics this week: This week marks the final scheduled release in the Expanded Universe, or as it has been rebranded, Legends time line. Dark Horse comics has the unique privilege of closing it out with the final issue in the Legacy series. For those who don’t know, Dark Horse has been putting out Star Wars stories since 1991. It was Dark Horse comics that helped rekindle the Star Wars fandom after a dark period in the 80s when they stopped making Star Wars action figures and Marvel…
Bioware SWToR Cantina Tour flash drive contents
As promised in the report-out article from Bioware’s cantina tour below you will find the contents of the flash drive distributed to all fans who attended the event. Pax Prime 2014 Scoop Rakata Prime Flashpoint screenshots Upcoming Cartel Market items Wallpapers included in the flashdrive
Bioware’s SWToR Cantina Tour Report-out (Seattle, Grand Hyatt Hotel, August 31,2014)
SWToRStrategies.com had the opportunity to attend Bioware’s SWToR Cantina Tour at Seattle’s Grand Hyatt hotel yesterday (Aug.31,2014) and bring you the latest information from the meeting.
Star Wars: Battlefront 3 Rumors
As you may already know, there are many rumors going around about the release of Star Wars Battlefront 3 and everyone wants to be the first to release some exciting news about the game. We try to bring you the news as we find it confirmed but sometimes it’s also fun to mull over the rumors. Sometimes speculation becomes fact when the game is released. Even when it doesn’t, it can be fun to imagine while we wait for official news. So here are some things we know about Battlefront 3. First, EA has the sole rights to development of all Star Wars games but they have brought in some subsidiaries like DICE, Bioware and Visceral Games to help them develop the popular, upcoming title. We know that the game is currently in production and that FrostBite 3 is being used. The game is expected to release around summer of…
Check Out Cool Items from Gatekeeper’s Pack – Videos
Are you curious about what’s in Gatekeeper’s Stronghold Packs? You would not be alone, as many SWTOR fans want to know what cool stuff they can get from these packs. Here is a compilation of videos from Dulfy herself showing us some of the cool stuff you can get if you are willing to dig through the cards (the drop rates, as usual, are not super great). Mounts Walkhar Auspiece (new model with a neat animation) Tobus Cruiser (new model) Weapons Blaster pistol Blaster Rifle Sniper rifle Decorations Grand Statue of the Emperor (centerpiece): Statue of the Spearman (centerpiece): Misc Regen/emotes:
Galactic Strongholds – Gathering vs Crafting Prices Spreadsheet
Are you curious what it will cost for gathering and crafting supplies for Galactic Strongholds? You are not alone and as usual, a member of the community has looked for a way to create a tool to help with this. The Gathering vs Crafting Prices Spreadsheet was created with data from just one server at one point in time so it is of course, subject to change, but it gives you a good baseline idea. In time, if it’s worked on a bit more, it could be a very good tool. You can also take the spreadsheet as is and then update it for your server and your own needs so you always have an up to date tool to help you reference costs. The spreadsheet lists the server of the GTN prices being marked, the date and time and detailed info about the item and how much it costs. There…
Patch Notes – 8/29/2014 – 2.9c Patch Notes
BioWare is adding a new patch today, that will fix the Conquest Flashpoints exploit, tha tsome players are using. Flashpoint Conquest Objectives are intended to be one-time only, not infinitely repeatable. The only Flashpoint Objectives that can be repeated are the Group Finder ones – and those can only be done when you have the Daily Mission for the Group Finder available. Below are the patch notes: General Flashpoint Conquest Objectives are now non-repeatable as intended. The Galactic Starfighter Invasion Bonus for Ilum now applies properly. I really don’t understand the point of this. PvP/GSF grinders are doing stuff and getting points all day long. This week we’re not getting easy points for the five-minute heroics AND they’re taking the Esseles/BT runs away? Might as well rename it “PvP conquest”.
TOR TV: Opening 24x Gatekeeper’s Stronghold Packs
The first in a series of Galactic Stronghold cartel packs have arrived… with more items AND they’re even cheaper than they used to be. With decorations now included in these packs, can Charlie find something worth keeping? We love these videos and articles where people open their packs for us and show us what they get. It’s a lot of fun getting caught up in the opening, hoping they will find something rare or at very least, some cool and useful stuff so the purchase is not unfounded. In addition to being fun to watch (although he’s slow), there is also a chance to win some packs for yourself so check it out and find out how. The verdict from this and prior experiences? Don’t open packs if you are looking for something specific unless you are planning to open 50+ of them. So we have the opening of 24…
Dev Blog – WANTED: DEAD AND DISMANTLED
BioWare just posted a new developer blog, in there usual story telling fashion. This one is a conversation between the Assassin droid BH-7X, witch was used by the Bounty Brokers Association, and a guy named Kern. Story is really starting to build up for Forged Alliances. Like the last one, this one is also written by Charles Boyd You can read the full story over at the official Star Wars: The old Republic website, or you can read our copy paste of the full blog post below: “Your ambush failed.” The droid’s voice almost sent Kern out of his seat. He’d been lost in thought, hadn’t heard it come in. One more lapse he could blame on getting old. Make that two more, if the thing was telling the truth. It got impatient for an answer and continued: “Four dead, seventeen injured. Jakarro and C2-D4 escaped.” Kern didn’t look at the droid,…
Patch Notes – 8/26/14 – 2.9b Patch Notes
BioWare took down the servers for a few hours today to perform maintenance and add a patch that fixes the performance lag that annoyed many players. Below are the patch notes: 2.9.0b Patch Notes General Corrected an issue with Galactic Strongholds that caused reduced performance in some instances. Corrected an issue where a player’s Legacy Titles would appear blank.
Should SWTOR be transitioned to Consoles?
A little more than a week ago, the company behind Star Wars: the Old Republic, BioWare, got around to making what seemed like a major announcement at the EA Gamescom Press Conference. Indeed, those who attended the conference could rightfully hope for something huge to be announced, like the porting of SWTOR to consoles…a console version of the 2-year of MMO…Alas, those who had their hopes up would be inevitably disappointed, as the announcement so carefully hyped and set up turned out to be nothing more than one concerning Galactic Strongholds, and it ended up delivering no relevant new information at all. Still, the idea of SWTOR making the jump to consoles is a pretty good one, especially from the point of view of fans of the 2012 MMO. Other Star Wars gamers may just shrug and say they’d be better off with KOTOR 3, but for those who actually…
Amazon Purchases Twitch
Big news today as Amazon has purchased Twitch. The $1 Billion deal is making headlines all over the Internet as Twitch is the most popular video game streaming site online. Google was making bids for the site through it’s YouTube subsidiary, which some fans were not happy with as they felt it narrowed the options of where to share their game footage and streaming. But Twitch came forward today to official announce the deal was done with Amazon for $970 million. It was approved by shareholders today and will be finalized later this year. Emmett Shear, CEO of Twitch, had this to say on their official blog: Today, I’m pleased to announce we’ve been acquired by Amazon. We chose Amazon because they believe in our community, they share our values and long-term vision, and they want to help us get there faster. We’re keeping most everything the same: our office,…
Next ‘Star Wars’ Will Have Less CGI, More Practical Effects
What do the future Star Wars films hold for us? Fans everywhere are at the edge of their seats waiting for any new information about the films. Well, here’ s a little update. Rian Johnson says the next ‘Star Wars’ will have less CGI and more practical effects. At the time of the first trilogy, the special effects were new and all the rage. Now, we’ve seen that happen time and time again in Hollywood. Hollywood Reporter has this to say: As if videos from the set of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars movie featuring live-action alien costumes and full-scale X-Wing Fighters haven’t been enough of a clue, Rian Johnson, who will pick up the franchise after Abrams, says Star Wars: Episode VII will feature more practical, traditional effects. “They’re doing so much practical building for this one. It’s awesome,” Johnson said on the latest Girls in Hoodies podcast. “I think people are coming back around to [practical effects]. It feels like there is sort of…
Game Update 2.10: Forged Alliances PTS Update
BioWare applied an update to the PTS build of Game Update 2.10 yesterday. Below are the changes made in the patch. Classes + Combat Jedi Knight Sentinel Combat Hand of Justice now triggers 20/40/60 percent of the time when Ataru Form deals damage and no longer finishes the cooldown of Precision Slash. This effect can only occur once every 20 seconds. In addition to its other effects, Saber Storm now reduces the cooldown of Precision Slash by 1.5/3.0/4.5 seconds. Sith Warrior Marauder Carnage Slaughter now triggers 20/40/60 percent of the time when Ataru Form deals damage and no longer finishes the cooldown of Gore. This effect can only occur once every 20 seconds. In addition to its other effects, Sever now reduces the cooldown of Gore by 1.5/3.0/4.5 seconds. Jedi Consular Sage In addition to increasing maximum Force, Force Studies now also increases armor rating by 20%. Force Mend no…
Updates on 2.10 Engineering Sniper / Saboteur Gunslinger Changes
Rob Hinkle have been active on the forums, updating players about Engineering Sniper and Saboteur Gunslinger Changes, comming in game update 2.10 Here is a consolidated list from the forums: Post #1 Focused Feedback Discussion: Engineering Sniper / Saboteur Gunslinger | 08.21.2014, 09:37 AM Hey Gang,Back from vacation and the first thing I see is a big mess I made before I left. I just wanted to hop in here really fast to make a comment on the Plasma Probe damage adjustment from testing versus the patch note. The short answer is: I screwed up the patch note and the 22% was from a previous iteration of changes that we were testing and decided we didn’t like. The values you guys are seeing on PTS is what our current target is, so let’s move forward with the discussion based on that number being the “real” number and talk about any further…
Gamescom 2014 – Star Wars: The Old Republic Q&A
We are still seeing a great deal of info coming out about Gamescom 2014 and the SWTOR Q&A session. As is consistent with other public events lately, Bioware is pushing for a new surge of gamers and popularity of SWTOR. But I think we are nearing the tales end now Check out the video (just under 30 minutes) to see the Q&A for yourself. What would you ask if you were there for the Q&A?
Star Wars: Commander is your next Star Wars game
Disney Interactive just announced Star Wars: Commander, a free-to-play game for mobile devices. The game, which is available for iOS devices, is set between George Lucas’ original two Star Wars movies and follows players from the planet of Tattooine as their careers advance inside whichever group they choose to belong to. The combat strategy game will be familiar to fans of that genre. Players control a commander of either Rebel of Imperial forces and deploy vehicles and troops into battle. The difference, of course, is that “Star Wars: Commander” gives fans the chance to deploy Stormtroopers AT-AT’s, and X-Wings. And characters they’ll meet along the way include Han Solo and Chewbacca (voiced by sound-alikes, not the original cast). “Commander,” which like most new mobile games is free-to-play but includes paid options for players who want to advance more quickly, includes both single player and competitive multi-player options. The single player…
Patch 2.9.0a Notes
BioWare will be patching some bugs today. Below are the patch notes: 2.9.0a Patch Notes General Corrected an issue that prevented a small number of players from logging in. Cartel Market The “Republic Voss Embassy Sign” item from the Gatekeeper’s Pack now grants the correct Decoration. Flashpoints + Operations Major Imos’ and Major Travik’s shields are now properly removed during their Assault On Tython encounters. Galactic Strongholds The Decorations “Arrangement: Speeder Station” and “Diagnostic Console (Medical) now grant properly when their item is used. Non-repeatable Conquest objectives are no longer reset by logging into a character that has not participated in the Conquest Event. Keys granted to others players now persist through log out, as intended. Missions + NPCs Players can now interact with Bakmar, the Republic Flashpoint vendor on Manaan. Image source
Developer Blog: Welcome to Galactic Strongholds Early Access
Sorry we didn’t post this yesterday, but Lisa have been in an accident, and have quite a family emergency. Our thought are with her and her family. If you have enough, please consider helping her out. Now back to the story. With game update 2.9 – Star Wars: The old Republic: Galatic strongholds that wen online yesterday, Bioware posted a new developer blog, highlighting what to expect with this expansion. The Galactic Strongholds expansion is the newest content introduced in Star Wars: The Old Republic where subscribers can build their own “houses” and design it the way they want. Those who are looking forward to show off their mount collection can now do it as they can easily just place them at their houses and invite their friends over to see them. In addition to the new SWTOR housing, a new flashpoint is also available for level 55 players. The…
Battlefield Game Modes That Should Be Added to Star Wars: Battlefront
In addition to the usual game modes of most Battlefront games, some fans are looking for some new games modes with a Star Wars theme for the newest installment of Star Wars: Battlefront. Tom from Battlefront News created a great video with his ideas for potential game modes. We have some Wookiee love, a Bounty Hunter mode and of course, Armada. He explains each game mode, how it works and how it would be played, complete with the objectives breakdown.
TOR TV: SWTOR Warzone Commendation Decorations
SWTORrista posted a bunch of youtube videos showing all the new Star Wars: The old Republic: Galactic Stronghold decorations obtainable from Warzone Commendation. So instead of the one video we normally posted in this segment, we have the pleasure of posting 9. All of them cost 200 Warzone Commendations, except for the Hypergate Ring which is 1,000. Decorations are shared along your whole legacy, so you can buy Imperial decorations on your imperial toon and see/use them with your Republic character on Coruscant! Just don’t let the senators see your Imperial banners from your giant bay windows… The guards are not intractable. Enjoy!
Game Update 2.9 Known Issues
With a new gameupdate comes new bugs to the game. Here is a list of the known issues so far. Luckily there are no game-breaking bugs a this time. Players do not receive double Prestige on previously placed items after conquering a planet. Decorations can get bugged if the layout is switched while a Decoration is present. Workaround: If you find you have two Decorations occupying the same area, leave the Stronghold and then re-enter. A guild will still be displayed in the Leaderboards if it is disbanded while controlling a planet. Emissive effects on Decorations are not rendered in the Preview Panel. Guild names are not updated on the Leaderboard if they are changed during a Conquest event. Companions are missing the Mission Icon above their head if they are summoned in a Stronghold. Players can get stuck in a Decoration they were situated on if they return to…
Summary of Game Update 2.9
While many of us have been following the SWTOR update for some time and know what is coming, it never hurts to have a recap and for those who have not been following, let’s take a look at what you can expect from Game Update 2.9. First, Game Update 2.9 will bring five major changes: Galactic Strongholds Decorations Guild Ships and Conquest New Crafting Schematics Forged Alliances: Part II This update is focusing on changes that help people who like to role play, socialize, craft and more. It’s geared So let’s take a look at each of these five things in more detail. Galactic Strongholds: We know that there will be four Legacy-wide Strongholds (houses) available for personal and guild use. You have to be a subscriber to own a Stronghold at this time but anyone can visit a Stronghold. Preferred have access in a month and free to play…
Patch Notes – 8/19/2014 – Game Update 2.9: Galactic Strongholds Early Access
Patch notes for tomorrows game update is now ready. Check them out below: Highlights Galactic Strongholds Early Access! Subscribers can now purchase a Galactic Stronghold on Nar Shaddaa, Tatooine, Dromund Kaas, and Coruscant by visiting the Stronghold Directory on the Fleet or on the Stronghold’s planet. Guild Flagships now available! Guilds can now purchase a Flagship and use it to compete with other guilds and conquer the galaxy! Visit the Flagship Directory on the Fleet for more information. Battle for control with Conquest! Conquest events are now available in the Mission Log! Each week a new Conquest event will become active with new objectives. Complete your personal point target to earn special rewards – or if you’re in a guild with a Flagship, invade a planet and compete with other guilds for planetary domination. Special perks are available to those who conquer a planet by placing at the top of the Guild Leaderboard…