This little video was mailed to me this morning. While it kind of break some happy childhood memories, couldn’t stop laughing. Wallace and Gromit will never bee the same again 🙂
Blood of the Empire
And here I thought that the combat video was awesome enough to carry this Friday on its own. But it seems that next to the video documentary on combat we get not one, not two, but three more updates this Friday. Of course none of them are quite as awesome as the video, but still. First there is the news that Threat of Peace has gone to print: Great news for comic book collectors! BioWare, LucasArts, and Dark Horse Comics are gearing up for the release of a three issue comic series of Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Threat of Peace™. Each issue features 27 vibrant full-color story pages, and will be priced at $2.99. Experience the passions and convictions driven by a handful of Star Wars™ heroes and villains as they reignite a legendary war between dark and light in this comic series originally published entirely online. The story…
Dev Diary: Combat in STAR WARS: The Old Republic
We usually get our dose of Star Wars: The Old Republic news on Friday, but GameTrailers recently managed to get their hands on an exclusive developer diary featuring BioWare and LucasArt developers detailing combat in the game. What’s even better, there’s more in-game combat video. Ever wonder why anyone would want to play anything but a Sith or Jedi? Find out from the team creating the classes themselves. [UPDATE] And the official news is live: Whether you dream of beating the odds with just your luck and a blaster, or imagine restoring order to the galaxy with Force powers and a Lightsaber, you’ll have your chance in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. We’ve talked a lot about how The Old Republic is innovating on storytelling in MMOs, and now we want to share with you how combat in The Old Republic will deliver a new level of excitement for fans….
While we wait for The Old Republic: KOTOR the Movie part 1
Sooo you haven’t played the best game ever made, And you still want to play Star Wars: The old republic. Ohh well.. Over the next few weeks you get the chance to understand the full back story as we show you the games cut together as a movie. Sorry about the popups. It’s not our site, but the nice people hosting the movie having their way. Guess it’s a small price for watching a two hour long movie for free. Hopefully we will have part 2 up by the weekend. Enjoy! Update: From the comments section: Kevsmets said… I actually am the creator of this movie… Episode 2 is finished as well… we have a whole forum community if you want to check it out, plus a youtube page and even a streaming channel called KOTOR TV! Forums: http://z11.invisionfree.com/KOTOR_Movies/ Youtube home: http://www.youtube.com/user/kevinsocal2k6 KOTOR TV: http://www.livestream.com/kotortv Download linkDVD Torrent Creators youtubeForum link Star…
How stuff works: Pazaak
Pazaak, an ancient game dating back to Old Republic times, was a popular card game in which the goal was to reach 20 without going over, or at least come closer to it than the opponent. The player with the nearest sum to the number 20 won the round, and the player who won three rounds won the match. If in one round the scores of the two players were equal, the round was not counted at all. Gameplay There are three different decks in pazaak: the main (or “table”) deck, composed of cards numbered 1-10 (the total cards in this deck is unbound, though it tended to have four of each number). There was also one side deck for each player in the game. These decks would be assembled by the players themselves and had to have exactly ten cards.At the beginning of the game, each player would randomly…
Timeline 7: Peace for the Republic? – Developer comments
Since the Friday update there have been a couple of developer posts on the official forums related to the subject. First is one by Rob Chestney, who comments on KotOR2 in relation to SWTOR: Hey Folks, always nice to see the healthy debate sparked by the Timeline pieces. I love Star Wars history and particularly anything relating to KotOR. Even though KotOR 2 was developed by another developer, lots of folks at BioWare played and enjoyed it, including myself. If you look closely within the game, you will find several references to events or characters from KotOR 2, and we absolutely treat it as canon. I will also say that there have been discussions about the final fate of the Exile, who was indeed a woman according to the canon. When outlining the Timeline series, though, we skipped over the events of KotOR2 for a few reasons: (SPOILER ALERT if…
Know your lore: Brianna (The Last Handmaiden)
Brianna, also known as “The Last Handmaiden,” or simply “Handmaiden,” was a half-Echani fighter, and illegitimate daughter to the famous Echani General Yusanis and Jedi Master Arren Kae, who both fought in the Mandalorian Wars. She later served along with her five half-sisters as a handmaiden to Jedi Master Atris in the period following the Jedi Civil War. During her service to Atris at the Jedi Academy on Telos IV, Brianna met the Jedi Exile, and was subsequently tasked with accompanying her on her mission to seek out the Jedi Masters who survived the First Jedi Purge. As the Exile’s companion, Brianna helped battle against numerous adversaries, including the resurgent Sith. During the journey, Brianna trained the Exile in Echani techniques and eventually received Jedi training from the Exile in return, becoming one of first new members of the Jedi Order after the Purge. In accepting such training, however, she…
Peace for the Republic?
It’s Friday again and that means it’s time for our weekly fix of Star Wars: The Old Republic content. This week, Master Gnost-Dural voiced by Lance (The Man) Henriksen returns with another HoloNet chronicle video telling of peace, betrayal, and Sith Infiltrators in the Jedi Order. BTC 103 – More than a century before the Sacking of Coruscant, two Jedi scholars embarked on a journey which became one of most inexplicable mysteries of its time. Young Jedi Knight Eison Gynt joined his Master in a mission to investigate the Ancient Sith Temple of Yavin 4. On Yavin, the pair was attacked by the native Massassi and driven into the Tomb of Naga Sadow where a powerful force of darkness emerged. Gynt’s Master returned to Coruscant wounded and half-insane, remorseful that young Eison Gynt had been killed in the chaos. Years later, however, Gynt returned from Yavin on his own and…
Couldn’t finish A New Hope because of your ADD? Never fear! A 4-minute teaser for Star Wars: Uncut is here!
Put on your best Star Wars costume and get ready for a spectacular remake, as PIX becomes the first festival in the world to show ‘Star Wars Uncut. Since August 2009, thousands of Star Wars fans have united in the project Star Wars Uncut in order to recreate George Lucas’s classic ‘Star Wars’ from 1977, which laid the solid foundation for the Star Wars universe. The film has been divided into 473 scenes lasting 15 seconds each, which the fans have re-shot themselves, after which all 15-second clips have been combined to form one big remake of the film. The clips range from home-made remakes via stop motion to professional 3D animation, and the result is a highly innovative reinterpretation, with John Williams’s original score mixed in. We are talking about a true bombardment of creativity, which is sure to take all Star Wars fans by surprise. The film is…
May the schwartz be with you: Star Wars-Inspired Vintage Travel Posters
Thanks to io9, we just discovered artist Justin van Genderen’s minimalist takes on planets and places of the original Star Wars Galaxy. While the vintage graphic design trend is nothing new, and in fact, Zazzle created a series of Star Wars WPA-inspired travel posters last spring, it’s also something that we never tire of. Our inner Stars Wars geek wishes that van Genderen had included Coruscant and Naboo in his series, but he had over 450 fictional planets to choose from. We’ll forgive him this time.
Species of Starwars: Kel Dor
In one of the first screen shots ever published by Bioware, we se a bad ass looking “Kel Dor” This time in Species of Starwars we will take a closer look on this amazing species. The Kel Dors, sometimes referred to as Kel Dorians, were a species hailing from the technological planet Dorin. They required masks to protect them when in oxygen-rich atmospheres. They were also known for the unique Force-using traditions of the Baran Do Sages. One famous Kel Dor was the Jedi Master Plo Koon, who was a member of a famous Kel Dor Jedi family. Sha Koon, a Jedi Knight, was Plo Koon’s niece. Biology and appearance The Kel Dors were a tall race, typically of the same height and weight as Humans. Their skin ranged in color from peach to a crimson red. Most had dark, black eyes, although some were born with silver irises, a…
How stuff works: Hyperspace
The blue tunnel of hyperspace travel. Hyperspace is the alternate state of existence used by starships to achieve faster-than-light travel. It was a phenomenon not completely understood by scientists; it was alternately described as a parallel universe, an extra dimension of space, an alternate mode of physical existence, or simply the universe as viewed traveling faster than the speed of light. To hyperspace was also a verb in Basic, as in phrases like “You are required to hyperspace back to the fleet when you complete the mission.” Technical background Normally, baryonic matter obeys physical principles of relativity: they increase exponentially in mass as they approach the speed of light, requiring more and more energy to approach it, and thus always remain below this threshold. Tachyonic matter, on the other hand, existed solely above the speed of light, and could not pass below said threshold. Hyperdrive technology allowed sentients to break…
Know your lore: Visas Marr
Visas Marr was a Miraluka female from the Mid Rim world of Katarr who lived during the time of the Jedi Civil War and the period of unrest that followed in its wake. In 3,952 BBY, Katarr had been chosen to host a secret Jedi conclave, which consequently drew the attention of the Sith. Darth Nihilus, one of the leaders of the Sith Triumvirate, brought devastation to the world, as well as the Jedi Order. He consumed all organic life on the planet, yet left Marr alive, albeit with damaged vision. She was taken aboard his flagship, the Ravager, and after she was made his apprentice, a Force bond was forged between the two. Afterward a servant of the dark side of the Force, she traveled with Nihilus beyond the Outer Rim. In 3,951 BBY, Marr was dispatched into the galaxy to seek out a growing presence in the Force…
May the schwartz be with you: Antique Star Wars Plates
Next time you have your in-laws over for dinner, impress them with these antique Star Wars plates. (via The Daily What)
Secret Mists of Voss
Today BioWare unveils another planet for Star Wars: The Old Republic, and I think that it’s probably the most intriguing planet to date: Voss. If you’ve never heard that name then it’s because it’s a wholly new planet . Here’s the official news: We’re thrilled to announce not only the next planet to be featured in Star Wars: The Old Republic™ but also a planet never-before-seen in the Star Wars™ mythos: Voss. An alien species resides on the mysterious world of Voss and is said to have an incredible aptitude for the Force. These Voss Mystics – rumored to be enigmatic healers as well as seers – struggle to protect their utopian society from annihilation. Discover the secrets of Voss as you are forced time and again to choose between maintaining the appearance of neutrality so important to your leaders or striking against your enemies while you have the chance….
Playable Species of SW:TOR – Humans
We know as which classes we will fight, but we only know very little about possible species. While some might still grief over the 2011 release, we went ahead and collected information on BioWare’s future MMO. Screenshots, artworks and videos showed several species, which we will have to face in the game. We made it our business to categorize these enemies for you. First off is humans. Humans were the galaxy’s most numerous and politically dominant sentient species with millions of major and minor colonies galaxywide. Believed to have originated on the galactic capital of Coruscant, they could be found anywhere, engaged in many different pursuits: spacers, mercenaries, smugglers, merchants, soldiers, assassins, farmers, crime lords, laborers, slaves, slavers, and many others, including Jedi. Since Humans were the most common sentient species, they were often considered to be a standard or average to which the biology, psychology, and culture of other…
Feudal Japanese Star Wars Art
Artist Steve Bialik represents legendary Star Wars characters as samurai from traditional Japanese art. Darth Vader and Jabba The Hutt are a lot less scary when they are illustrated as a bald dude in a mask and a giant bullfrog. Obi-Wan Kenobi Yoda Han Solo & Chewbacca the Oni Boba Fett Darth Vader Emperor Palpatine Jabba the Hutt
While we wait for The Old Republic: Attack of the Clones Review
Remember the epic, 70-minute video review of Star Wars: Episode I? Well, at long last the followup review of Episode II is out, and it’s everything you hoped it would be and more.
Know your lore: Juhani
Juhani was a Cathar female who was a Jedi. She was a survivor of the Genocide of Cathar, spending her childhood on Taris during the Mandalorian Wars as a refugee. Sold into slavery after the death of her parents, Juhani was freed by Revan, who inspired her to join the Jedi Order. She was accepted for Jedi training at the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine and apprenticed to Jedi Master Quatra. Near the close of the Jedi Civil War, Juhani briefly fell to the dark side of the Force, but was redeemed by Revan, whom she then sought to aid in turn by offering support in his quest to find the Star Forge. In aiding Revan, she played a role in the defeat of Darth Malak and the Sith, and was awarded the Cross of Glory. Early life In the early days of the Mandalorian aggression that would culminate in the…
Lead Systems Designer Talks About the Third Element of Creating MMORPGs
SW:TOR Lead Designer talks about the third element of MMORPGs. This week’s update from Star Wars: The Old Republic is an article from Principal Lead Systems Designer Damion Schubert, who talks about designing systems for MMORPGs. Community is one of the major elements that is needed to make a successful MMORPG, one that Schubert refers to as the whole ball of wax. To me, as an MMO designer, community is the whole ball of wax. Let’s face it, if you wanted to play just a ‘game’, you’d be off playing a single player roleplaying game. If you wanted a ‘world’, maybe you’d play a life-simulation game. But community – well, that’s the whole ‘massively multiplayer’ part of MMO. When you look at it this way, ‘community’ is at least as important as ‘game’ or ‘world’ in this debate. While they have added the opportunity for players to solo their way…
Star Wars Pin-Ups
Feng Zhu is an illustrator who work for movie design and cover art, and actually he worked on the designs of the Star Wars Episode III, Revenge of the Sith for Lucasfilm As you can see he did some pretty cool Posters for calling young male around the galaxy to Join the empire.
Sarlacc Enforcer, Devourer of Injustice
It’s april fools day, and Bioware has a great one for us – Sarlacc Enforcer, Devourer of Injustice Think you’ve seen all the playable classes in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™? Think again! We’ve saved the best for last! Now you can realize your fantasy of playing as a Sarlacc Enforcer in Star Wars: The Old Republic! For thousands of years, the brave souls who answer to the name Sarlacc have been the ultimate authority on final judgment in the galaxy. A perfect combination of ruthless efficiency and calculated precision, the Sarlacc Enforcers make sure the galaxy’s trash doesn’t have a chance to pile up. Access the latest HoloNet entry now to see a full profile of the deadly Sarlacc Enforcer, including combat footage of the Sarlaccs in action! From the holonet I can read that this is my type of class 😉 Patient, Calculating, & Elusive The galaxy is…
BioWare’s Countdown Clock Reveals the BioWare Bazaar
About a week ago, BioWare launched a new countdown clock on their site that has had gamers watching it patiently to see what exactly it means. The countdown is officially over as of 12:00pm EST today and the big secret revealed by the countdown is the new BioWare Bazaar, a series of week-long mock online auctions that will begin on April 6th, 2010. In order to bid on the more than 400 items ranging from custom Alienware laptops to BioWare apparel, and much more, fans will need to collect tokens through various challenges to acquire tokens for bidding. The first auction is scheduled to begin at Tuesday, April 6th at 9:00am PST. New items will be made available every 15 minutes from there. The auction series will end at 4:00pm PST on Saturday, April 10th, 2010. What are you waiting for? Click here to learn more.
SW:TOR Community Manager Responds to XBox 360 Rumor
Yesterday a rumor surfaced that Star Wars: The Old Republic (SW:TOR) could possibly be heading to the XBox 360 according to a new internal Xbox 360 release list acquired by VG247. The list details scheduled for release next year, but the most curious entry is near the bottom of the document that states SW:TOR on the Xbox 360 list marked with TBC-2011 release. However, it looks like for the moment the rumor is just that, despite the information in the document. SW:TOR Community Manager Sean “Ashen Temper” Dahlberg responded to the discussion on the official SW:TOR forums, emphasizing that SW:TOR is being developed for the PC with Windows as an operating system at this time. I know many of you have heard this before but I’ll go ahead and reiterate it for those of you who may be new: Star Wars: The Old Republic is currently being developed for the…