There has been a buzz recently about BioWare dropping the ban-hammer with prejudice on SWTOR gamers for things such as profanity, going to Illum before level 50 and anything that appears like chat “spam”, even if accidental. This has a lot of players asking if BioWare is being too heavy-handed in their banning practices. While most of the threads on the official forums about it are quickly locked or deleted, there is a discussion going on about it at Reddit and one user also captured a screenshot of their ban warning email which was posted on the forums but that thread was later deleted. Basically, this user said he was sent an email warning after using profanity in private tells to friends in game. The email warns the user that he will be banned if he is caught using this language again. No one seems to be able to get…
Corellia Datacron Locations
Corellia was the capital planet of the Corellian system, which included Selonia, Drall, Tralus, and Talus. It was also the birthplace of smuggler and New Republic General Han Solo as well as Rogue Squadron pilot and New Republic hero Wedge Antilles, along with many other humans who played important roles in the histories of the Rebel Alliance, New Republic, and Galactic Alliance. Collectively, the planets of the system were known as the Five Brothers. As the largest planet and the closest to Corell, Corellia was often called the “Eldest Brother” or the “Eldest.” Historians believed the Celestials assembled the system artificially, the worlds brought from other parts of the galaxy for unknown reasons. Some believed that these Celestials populated Corellia with Humans from Coruscant. Read all about Corellia here, and check out the datacron locations below: Don’t forget to check out constantly growing list of guides for Star Wars: The old…
How the Old Republic Didn’t Change MMOs from Escapist Magazine
I read a really interesting piece today from Escapist Magazine. It was part of a weekly column “First Person” written by Boston, MA-based freelancer Dennis Scimeca that I often enjoy. This particular write-up on how The Old Republic didn’t change MMOs is spot-on with how I feel about the game in many areas. Let’s start with saying that it’s not a negative review. In fact, the columnist seems quite content with SWTOR as far as the game itself goes but he makes some very valid points about the MMO aspects and how there are certain things that just cannot be revolutionized yet in the genre. While SWTOR has done some things that no other MMORPG has done, there are still some things that it just hasn’t changed about the genre in SWTOR. However, it may not really be BioWare’s fault. I mean, this is reportedly one of (if not the)…
Contest to Win SWTOR Razer Gaming Mouse
Have you been looking to get your hands on that SWTOR Razer mouse but Santa didn’t bring you one for Christmas? We might have a good opportunity for you because we stumbled across this post and contest for a SWTOR Razer gaming mouse and you still have 2 more days to get your entry in! (The deadline for entries is midnight on January 4th 2012.) Ctrl + Alt + Del has a contest that you are going to want to check out, especially if you consider yourself a Photoshop aficionado. All you have to do is create a SWTOR image in Photoshop from a SWTOR screenshot as the starting point. How creative can you be? Contest rules: I have three sets of SWTOR mouse + mousepad by Razer to give away, so I’m going to ask you to get a little artistic for this one. I want you to whip…
Voss Datacron Locations
Voss was a planet located within the Voss system of the Outer Rim Territories. It was inhabited by Gormak and a less numerous species, who were named Voss like the planet. The two were engaged in warfare for many years circa 3,653 BBY. The Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire discovered the planet shortly after the signature of the Treaty of Coruscant. For centuries, the two native sentient species of Voss—the Voss and the Gormak—were at war with each other. Following the Treaty of Coruscant that ended the Great Galactic War in 3,653 BBY, Voss was accidentally discovered by the larger galaxy. It was invaded by the Sith Empire, and the Galactic Republic moved to defend the world against the Sith by occupying it themselves. However, the Voss were able to out-maneuver both factions due to the visions of their Force-using tradition, the Voss Mystics. In the aftermath of the…
What to Do During SWTOR Maintenance
So it’s maintenance day for SWTOR and you are finding yourself at a loss for what to do. You’ve been playing every day, working your way to max level, completing missions, earning credits and building a legacy. Now what? SWTOR maintenance day is not a need for stress and worry. There are many productive things you could be doing instead while SWTOR is down for maintenance. Here are some ideas of what to do during SWTOR maintenance: Read SWTORstrategies.com Go take a shower Step outside-remember that thing called the sun? Have a Star Wars movie marathon Sketch your character Play KOTOR Reintroduce yourself to non-gamer friends (do they remember you anymore?) Make a list of things you will do when the server is back up Organize your screenshot folder Spend time on forums talking about SWTOR Many people have work or school during the maintenance hours anyway so they don’t…
Intergalactic Intel: Resolutions
Intergalactic Intel: Resolutions “Can you believe that guy?” Any louder and I was going to mute my friend. “Be nice he’s new to MMO’s.” “How can I be nice when it’s so easy?! Don’t hit the CC’d mob!” “It takes practice; I mean we weren’t perfect back in Burning Crusade. Look how long it took for you to get the concept of line of sighting ranged mobs…” At that point I’m pretty sure I got a death glare through the internet. Welcome back to Intergalactic Intel! I hope everyone has enjoyed their new year as we bring 2012 into the works. With tons of new content coming from Bioware, and as servers make their communities, we here at Swtorstratgies will be keeping up with the latest information to provide to you. So everyone makes New Year’s resolutions. Lose weight, quit smoking, and start learning that awkward hobby that only five…
TOR TV: A Wasted Year
The guild Starfleet Dental, used their new years eave creating this little jewel of a machinima. The video for A Wasted Year is pretty spot-on for the material and keeps pace with the music fairly well. I was not aware that someone made a polka version of ZZ Tops ” give me all your loving” and I’m not sure I aprove of it either though. My favorite part is at the end, when they all break out into fireworks and dancing. It’s rare that videos make me wish I could be included in that game play. But if I’d had an invite to that party, I definitely would have been there with bells on. Interested in SWTOR Movies? We have new movies most weekdays here on swtorstrategies! Have suggestions for movie we ought to feature? Get in contact with us here
Is SWTOR PVP Broken?
Recently there have been a lot of complaints about PVP in SWTOR and not all of them are just from hardcore PvPers who don’t like the way things are set up in SWTOR. In fact, there are many bugs and legitimate complaints that lead a gamer to ask, “Is PvP in SWTOR broken?” MMO Crunch has a piece that asks “Where’s the PvP?” and brings up a pretty good question about the lacking world PvP in SWTOR. I have to agree with the author since I play on a PvP server and have yet to run into a PvP encounter in the open world once so far and I’ve been playing since pre-launch. MMO Crunch says: “The problem with the open PvP zones is there is absolutely no incentive for players, which is why they’re empty. Why bother in a open zone when you can queue up for a warzone…
TOR Wins MMO Game Of The Year From GameSpy
While it’s not really a surprise to any of us here, we are happy to announce that Gamespy ranked SWTOR as Game of the Year: MMO Category. Released just before the end of the year after years of anticipation, the game is off to a fantastic start, breaking genre records across the board and drawing in tons of happy gamers. In what many believe to be the first MMO to rival WoW, SWTOR has made an impressive launch into the industry and now only time will tell if BioWare can keep it up for the longterm. FromGamespy: “We’restill logging hours in a galaxy far, far away to bring you our full review, butthis award should give you an idea how we feel about BioWare’s long-awaitedStar Wars MMO. From day one, the renowned RPG studio said it would set its gameapart from the competition with story, voice, and choice — and…
Star Wars: The Old Republic Pre-review from Gaming Age
Gaming Age takes a look at SWTOR for the first time and it’s safe to say that overall, their reviewer was thoroughly impressed with the game. They’ve taken the time to write up a nearly 1,000-word pre-review to explain what they think of it. This is a great “early impressions” type piece that we wanted to share with you. And if any of you have friends that still have not bought SWTOR, this is a great preview/review to send to them. The pre-review begins: “Star Wars: The Old Republic is the first MMO that could legitimately take the top spot away from the long-running champ of MMO’s, World of Warcraft.” And haven’t we heard this one before? While the haters and WoW fanboys may disagree, there are actually some really good reasons why this might be true. The reviewer at Gaming Age takes some time to tell us their opinions….
Belsavis Datacron Locations
Belsavis was a planet in the Ninth Quadrant, which was a region of the Bozhnee sector. Ice-covered, its average temperature was in the -50s. It was located on the Belsavis Run At some unknown point in the past, the planet became one of the many worlds that belonged to the Rakata Infinite Empire. During that time, the Rakata made use of the world as a prison colony where they placed many dangerous prisoners that remained trapped for the millennia. It entered an ice age around 5,000 BBY. Its inhabitants dwelt in three volcanic jungle rifts. During the Great War, the Republic used Belsavis’ prison to confine dangerous Sith lords and war criminals. Read all about Belsavis here, and check out the datacron locations below: Don’t forget to check out constantly growing list of guides for Star Wars: The old republic 68 – [Aim +4] X: 784; Y: 126 Z: -1929 (The…
This is Why SWTOR Matters
Ever gotten on a soapbox when it comes to talking about video games? You certainly wouldn’t be the first to do so. In fact, gamers are often so passionate about their video games that they find themselves on a soapbox quite often. Adam Harshberger of Pexielsordeath.com has a soapbox opportunity to tell us all why SWTOR matters. It seems everyone who has played the game has a strong opinion one way or another about it. For some, SWTOR is just another MMO attempting to rival WoW that will probably wither and wane just like so many others. To some, it doesn’t matter at all. However, to others SWTOR matters and here is a glimpse into why. Harshberger says: “But, regardless, Bioware has succeeded in igniting my brain in ways that only single player games have previously – and, to frank with ya’ll, I can’t stop playing it.” He says that…
Hoth Datacron Locations
Hoth was the sixth planet of the remote Hoth system. A desolate world covered with ice and snow, located in the Anoat sector, a rarely-traveled portion of the Outer Rim Territories, it became famous as the one-time location of the Alliance to Restore the Republic’s Echo Base during the Galactic Civil War. It was discovered in 3 ABY by the Empire, causing the Battle of Hoth, a major engagement that destroyed the Rebels’ base and gave them heavy casualties. Hoth’s existence was known throughout the galaxy as early as 4,000 BBY. The swamp wampas of Dromund Kaas were proven by scientists to be descended from the wampas of Hoth. It is possible that wampas were brought to Dromund Kaas during the Great Galactic War though the truth remains a mystery. Indeed the Republic suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Empire during that conflict. The two fleets included…
SWTOR Beats WoW at its Own Game- Epic Battle of the MMORPGs
We have heard talk for years now of how BioWare just might have the first MMO to rival the infamous World of Warcraft. However, it would not be the first game to make attempts to take down the Blizzard giant in the MMORPG scene. There were skeptics and there were supporters but no one could say for sure if SWTOR would measure up to the level of WoW until it happened. Here were are just a few days past the official launch and SWTOR is breaking records right and left. It would appear now that they have also beaten WoW at their own game. Daily Mail reports on the stats: Hits 1 million subscribers faster than any rival, including World of Warcraft Gamers play for 5.5 million hours over Christmas Three billion enemies are killed Dark Side is narrowly ahead: 810,000 Jedi created, 850,000 Sith While WoW boasts the title…
SWTOR Shows MMO Market is Healthy, According to Analyst
If there was any doubt that the MMO market is at an all-time high, SWTOR just took measures to highlight this for all of the industry to see. Kris Graft from Gamasutra gives us the lowdown on how SWTOR points to a healthy MMO market right now. Baird Equity Research analyst Colin Sebastian said: “”We view the early success of Star Wars as an indication of a healthy MMO market. While there is likely some shifting of usage from Activision’s World of Warcraft, we see a viable market for multiple million-user MMOs in the U.S. and Europe.” The Gamasutra article goes on to explain why the analyst says this about SWTOR and what it might mean for the MMO industry/genre as a whole. While the MMO market does have a wild history of bug launches that failed miserably, it’s safe to say that gamers in general are willing to try…
Quesh Datacron Locations
Don’t forget to check out constantly growing list of guides for Star Wars: The old republic Discovered by the Galactic Republic during the Great Galactic War, Quesh’s toxic atmosphere made the planet uninhabitable for many lifeforms, and was initially dismissed by the Republic. Years later, however, a young Republic chemist realized potential for some of the chemicals found on Quesh to be used for the Republic, as many of the compounds on the planet closely resembled venenit shadaaga, roughly translated as “Hutt Venom”, a primary ingredient in very powerful adrenals. After this discovery was made, it was swiftly reoccupied by the Republic who began to invest in its production. However, the Republic engineers were unable to master the process of turning these chemicals into adrenals, so they resorted to an unlikely ally, the Hutts. Three Hutt cartels lended their help in the exchange for a share of the profits. Within a…
The Sith Inquisition: iPhone app Review – Galaxy Link
Good Afternoon Sithizens, We were asked to do a review of an iPhone app by the moderators of swtorstrategies.com, and not being ones to disapoint our masters, we did so eagerly. The app is called Galaxy Link, and although it doesn’t have any links to the game itself due to the fact that Bioware has yet to put out their API for The Old Republic, the app does try to push what usefulness it can with timers, a small social networking tool, and a small encyclopedia of basic information on datacrons. The social networking tools are relatively bare bones, especially because it has no ability to tie into the game itself. It works by you entering the server and character you play, as well as answering some basic questions about them. After completing the short registration, you see a list of everyone else linked into the network, organized in multiple…
BioWare’s Muzyka and Zeschuk defend subscription model of SWTOR
While no one actually asked them this time, the BioWare docs found reason to defend their subscription model once again, according to joystiq. In an interview with the BioWare figureheads, they spoke up with a defensive explanation of their subscription model for SWTOR, although the interviewer didn’t actually question them on it. Perhaps they are just so used to be grilled over the subject, it’s like a canned response to interviews. Nonetheless, it was pretty fun and their answers/explanation was interesting. “”You look at the online space in general and it’s fragmenting into all these different areas, but the core still works. The subscription model still works,” Zeschuk said. “”We know a lot of people say, ‘Oh, everything’s just going free-to-play.’ But that’s just one slice. There’s one slice that’s free-to-play, there’s one slice that’s social, there’s traditional subscription still going.” He goes on to talk about the differences between…
Republic Fleet Datacron: +10 All Stats
To start, you’ll need the Red Crystal Artifact found on Corellia, the MGGS found on Alderaan, and a Blue Crystal that you can get right there in the Museum on the Republic Fleet (which is where the fun begins). On to the guide! To begin, you’ll need to head to the Museum on the Gav Daragon within the Republic Fleet. You can do this by heading to the “Mission Departures” elevator on the main Republic Fleet ship and taking it to “Interfleet Transport.” Take the taxi to the “Gav Daragon” and then take the only elevator you’ll see to the “Gav Daragon Bridge.” Once there, head to the right (on the map, you’ll see an elevator-like circle, but no elevator icon) and take that elevator to the “Museum.”” Museum Access Once you are in the Museum, you need to jump up to the shuttle on top of the platform (you…
Imperial Fleet: +10 All Attribute Datacrons on Ziost Shadow
One thing the video doesn’t really make clear is that all 5 magnetic stabilizer buttons have to be active in order to get to the final door. This means that the first two are clicked, allowing the other two players to hookshot to their buttons and push them, then everyone hookshots to the middle one, and one person hookshots to the final button. All this has to be done within about 30 seconds. Also, the hookshots are very unreliable — you can be teleported back to your starting point or even fall to your death if you hookshot from a slightly wrong location. Generally speaking, you want to do it from as far back as possible so the angle is shallower. Also, once you have gotten the datacron, your red and blue crystals are destroyed and it is impossible to pick them up again. This means you can’t help anyone…
AMA on Reddit with Stephen Reid
Ask Me Anything! AMA on Reddit with Stephen Reid @Rockjaw today was really exciting, lots of fun and brought us some fun and interesting stuff. My only complaint is that many of the questions were regarding issues that have already been publicly discussed. I would have preferred to see more personal stories, insider info and insights into the game and the making of the game. Anyway, it’s still good info. If you missed it happening live, that’s a-ok because I caught it all and we’re here to give you the highlights. Reid started the event with a few caveats: I’m not in charge of any design decisions on the game – if you are looking to get something changed, ask nicely on the official Forums 🙂 I’m not aware of every single bug in the game, or the status of their resolution – although I am happy to hear about…
Ability Delay — Character Responsiveness Can Make or Break SWTOR
While every new game will have some bugs, there are bugs that are much more serious in game than others. Some, in fact, can be completely game breaking and this is frustrating for someone who enjoys the game but then gets caught by a bug like the ability delay that is slowing character responsiveness in SWTOR. A thread on the official forums breaks down this very important issue that could make or break SWTOR. The original poster explains the issue: “The “Character Responsiveness” for lack of a better term, is how “smooth” the game plays from your avatars perspective. I have played SWG and EQ to a lesser degree as well as Warhammer Online and several other MMOs and I must honestly say that Bioware has gotten this all too important aspect much better than any previous MMO that I have experienced (with the obvious exception, to which we will…
SWTOR “fastest in history” MMO to 1 million subscribers
Star Wars: The Old Republic “fastest in history” MMO to 1 million subscribers – or so says Geek.com. I am not surprised in the slightest to hear of these statistics. Even if I wasn’t a personal fan of the game, it’s easy to follow the history of the game to date and see the great popularity of it thus far. It has the makings of an incredible, stat-breaking game or a failure of epic proportions if it lets the gamers down. So far, it’s leaning towards the former. Sure there are gamers who just aren’t that impressed with SWTOR and that’s ok. To each his own, right? But still, there are millions who are into the game and appreciate it for what it is and what it might be. Can you believe that SWTOR has 1 million subscribers already? This makes it the fastest MMO to reach this feat. Geek.com…