CaptainRAVE had a few things to say about SWTOR over on the Overclockers UK Forums. He has some positive things to say to start off with: “I’m currently really enjoying SWTOR, the advanced classes, companion characters and storylines breathe new life into an aging genre” Alright! That’s what we want to hear. However, this statement of praise is not much different than what other beta testers are saying about the game. But just give him time because CaptainRAVE then goes on to give us a full-on rant about his experience in TOR beta. He begins, “Bioware are falling down on some key MMO aspects among other things. Here are my complaints and possible fixes.” This is the intro to a nearly 2,000-word post of gripes and complaints about SWTOR. We don’t fault him because he uses decent grammar and nifty subheadings to make it easier to follow each of his…
Blizzard lights a fire under Bioware with D3 beta?
Diablo fans might be in for some interesting news. Apparently, they recently sent out some invitations to press and fansties for a July 27th visit to try out their latest Diablo 3 beta build. The lucky few selected will be able to try out the beta early and no visit to Blizzard headquarters is complete without checking out some cool stuff that no one else gets to see. They will also get to see the functionality of Battle.net 2.0, sit in on a developer Q&A and get information about the new features in Diablo 3. It’s a Diablo fan’s dream come true! Could Blizzard’s timing be just what is needed to light a fire under BioWare’s behind to push SWTOR to stay on schedule for a release before the close of 2011? The anticipated MMORPG of the year, Star Wars: The Old Republic is already set to be the major…
New Game Mod Brings Star Wars and Call of Duty Together
Are you a Star Wars fan who’s into Call of Duty? This might be some of the coolest news you have ever read. German modding outfit, Black Monkeys have created an awesome Star Wars-themed mod for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. After 2 ½ years of development, the team is now ready to bring you Galactic Warfare a Star Wars-themed ‘mod’ for Call of Duty: Modern warfare. In fact, this is as good a reason as any to give Call of Duty a try if you have previously been on the fence about playing it. This awesome mod is a total conversion of all the environments, weapons and even the characters. It’s all re-skinned to fit the theme and story of the Star Wars universe. You can choose the Imperial Forces and become a trooper or be a solider of the Rebel Alliance. There are seven great maps to deathmatch…
Species of Starwars: Gran
The Gran were a sentient species native to the planet Kinyen, though they had colonies across the galaxy, including settlements on the planets Hok and Malastare. Physiology They could easily be identified by their three eyes and their goat-like snout. Female Gran had three breasts. The Gran had excellent vision, able to resolve more colors than most species, and even able to see into the infrared. Gran had two stomachs, having evolved from herbivorous grazing animals who lived in herds on the mountains and highlands of Kinyen. Gran were also able to sense one another’s emotions and disposition by noting subtle changes in body heat and skin color. Society The peaceful nature of Gran society was a reflection of their homeworld, Kinyen. Kinyen boasted large and rolling grasslands, a dense and beautiful forest, and one of the longest and clearest rivers in the Sumitra Sector. The beauty of this planet,…
Site updates July 2011
I know we haven’t been good keep you guys posted on what’s going on at the site, So I thought it would be a good time to keep you guys update on some of the new features we made on the side. First of all we have re-added the Forum. We took it down re constructed the site a few month back, and havenøt gotten around to put it back up. You can find it under the community menu as shown below: Hopefully we can get some great discussion and lot’s of fun there in the future. You need to creat an account to use it, but it’s super simple, and only takes a few minutes. Secondly we added IRC Chat to the forum. We have chosen to joine the #SWTOR channel on Quakenet, since it’s the largest SWTOR Chat on all of the IRC networks. I go by the…
The Guild Sphere: S.O.T.A.C.
This week I sat down with another Sith guild, S.O.T.A.C., a old Star Wars: Galaxies guild converting to SWTOR. Where did your guilds name come from? On SWgalaxies, we wanted to make a combat squad, I was aiming for a military division within the Empire. S.O.T.A.C. is an acronym for Special Operations Tactical Assault Command. Can you give me a quick 2-3 sentance description of your guild? A tight knit group of players that strive for a common goal, we are very competitive and enjoy the task of trying to be the best in any game we play. We are all about team work and making the experience enjoyable. How did your guild come about? SOTAC itself came about on SWG, but some of the members including myself played other MMO’s and games together, so when we jumped onto SWG it was a no brainer. We had seen how many other…
ZAM opens new SWTOR Fan Site
Yesterday Stephen Reid twittered: “We’ve got a new #SWTOR site up and running today – say hello to http://tor.zam.com/” so I had to go and check it out, of course. The new SWTOR fan site packs some pretty big promises right from the start: “The Force is with us! With anticipation and excitement building for Star Wars: The Old Republic, we’ve created a brand new fansite devoted to all things SW:TOR. Complete with an expanding wiki, forums and robust news section, ZAM SW:TOR will cater to all your current (and upcoming!) Old Republic needs.” If it promises all things related to TOR, then you can bet we’re going to want to keep our eyes on it as well. The site offers forums ( have your checked out our forums yet? ) , TOR-wiki and of course, news and updates. They plan to cater to all of your current and upcoming TOR-related needs….
Faction lore: Galactic Republic
The Republic itself was formed in 25,053 BBY when the first “Galactic Constitution” was signed on Coruscant, after the Corellian Hyperdrive connected many worlds in the Galactic Core. Whether this means that Coruscant was the original homeworld of humans or simply the most powerful world at the time is still up for debate, and there has been little said about the event other than that it occurred. The Republic was made up of several hundred thousand worlds. The Republic, led by a Supreme Chancellor, had a supposedly democratic government that was able to sustain itself for over twenty-five thousand years. It is said that its complete history would “fill a thousand libraries”. In its latest years, it was a benevolent – though ineffectual – government tied up in layers of bureaucracy. History The Human Core around which the Republic was formed Formation The Republic was born with the signing of…
Star Wars Galaxies Players to Sue Sony
SWG fans will not back down when it comes to their favorite game. It seems the big fat “no” they received in response to their petitions was not enough and they are now filing a class-action lawsuit against Sony Online Entertainment in an effort to keep the Star Wars themed MMORPG live and running. Lucas Arts and SOE announced earlier this month that the game would be shutting down on December 15th of this year. They blamed the closure on declining subscriptions and competition MMORPGs, one of which being the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Old Republic. But many SWG fans are saying “Screw TOR!” and they demand to keep their game. Just yesterday we wrote about how Sony shot down the petitions and reportedly, they also locked forum threads and banned players related to the petitions, citing that “promoting an online petition causes disruption within the community and does…
Can SWTOR Be Farmed with Companions and Alts?
People are pumped up about SWTOR and while we wait for the anticipated MMORPG to finally be released, people are talking about what it will be like- both positive and negative. Lead Systems Designer Damion Schubert talks out in the SWTOR forums about the Companion Character mission system and how they will work with alts as well as while you are actively playing the game. One forum poster asks if he was logging in playing one character, if he could have another character’s companions out collecting resources at the same time. Schubert’s answer was yes, which stirred up some more questions about farming and exploitation of Crew Skills. Is it possible that people could farm with their Crew Skills and exploit the economy of the game? Schubert answers this by saying: “There are some preconceptions about the missions system, such as that it’s an infinite money machine. Quite the opposite:…
Bounty Hunter Character Progression Video
Watch BioWare’s latest trailer to see this Star Wars: The Old Republic class in action! This week’s Star Wars: The Old Republic update is all about the Bounty Hunter and some of the many devices they can use to take down their opponents. Bounty Hunters are feared throughout the Star Wars galaxy and in BioWare’s latest class advancement video, you can see why. The video provides a look at the multiple advancement paths that players can choose from and by the end you’ll be asking one question – where do they get those wonderful toys? Check out the video embed after the break.
Star Wars XXX: Interview with Grand Moff Tarkin aka Eli Cross
The newest porn parody from Vivid and Axel Braun – Star Wars XXX – wrapped its filming a few weeks ago. Braun said he’s had fun shooting the movie but wanted to pay an homage to one of the most beloved sci fi franchise in the world. I caught up with Eli Cross script writer and producer of the movie for a short chat about the movie and Star Wars the old republic. First a few words about your self. How long have you worked in the industry, favourite projects etc. My stage name is Eli Cross. I’ve been in the adult industry for 21 years. I first ran the Castle Megastore in Arizona during it’s first expansion. Then, I was the editor of several adult magazines and I ran AVN, the adult industry trade mag, for 5 years. I’ve directed several big projects, but the three I’m proudest of are “Corruption” and…
SOE Shoots Down Star Wars Galaxies Petitions
If you were a Star Wars Galaxies fan signing the petitions to keep SWG and make it free-to-play, Sony Online Entertainment has offered an official reply to your demands: “Regarding the Star Wars Galaxies petitions, we first want to thank everyone for taking the time to organize such an effort. As always, we appreciate your feedback, and I can assure you with 100% confidence that your feelings have been heard. No one is more disappointed than we are to cancel Star Wars Galaxies; however, we are confident that this was the only decision possible. This was not an easy decision to make; Sony Online Entertainment and Lucas Arts spent months deliberating, and in the end we had to make the hard choice. We are extremely proud of the ground we broke with the launch of SWG, its growth and evolution since launch, and most especially, the community. We would…
Facebook Image of The Week #18
Today is Thursday… But yesterday was Wednesday, which means BioWare gave us another new image on The Old Republic’s Facebook page! An enterprising young Bounty Hunter conducts business with Nem’ro the Hutt, a powerful and influential crime lord on the foul world of Hutta. If your not already following Star Wars: The old republic on Facebook, go do so here
The Guild Sphere: Followers of Palawa
Where did your guilds name come from? The Followers of Palawa is an ancient Order found within the expanded universe. When I began the guild two years ago I knew that a profound name would be needed to allow our members to truly immerse themselves within The Old Republic. Can you give me a quick 2-3 sentence description of your guild? Our guild’s philosophy has always revolved around a foundation of both quality and guild chemistry. What makes us unique is our cross faction feature, which will allow members to enjoy all of which TOR has to offer along side a great group of like minded individuals. How did your guild come about? Back in October of 2008 a group of friends decided that their paths would lead them to a galaxy of upheaval and strife. What began as a group of mundane friends soon flourished into a maturity community…
Birth and Evolution of the Lightsaber
We previously brought you a story about how lightsabers work but when it comes to filmmaking history, you probably have no idea how far the light saber has really evolved. It’s really interesting to look at the birth of the lightsaber and how it evolved into what we know it as today. In this article by Rianne Hill Soriana, we see an explanation of the lightsaber concept: “According to filmmaker George Lucas, “Star Wars” had influences from early pirate, adventure, and romantic films of the 1940s. With its basic premise centering on a romantic fantasy, it was inspired by the great romantic traditions in the mythology of “King Arthur” and the adventurous spirit of “Robin Hood.”” She goes on to describe the look of the lightsaber itself and how this look was pulled off in film technology, even many years ago, helping to create the legend that is Star Wars…
EA: 200 hours of play per SWTOR class
When it comes to SWTOR, many would-be players are asking about its playability. EA has helped clear up some of the confusion by revealing there will be 200 hours worth of gameplay for each of the six playable classes. This whopping amount of game play will come from the questing and storyline itself and will not include crafting, raiding or the “multiplayer” aspects of the game. They say it’s a “gigantic” game and if what they’re telling us is true, then it sure seems to be. We’re talking endless possibilities in terms of what to do in the game. With that much playability, SWTOR will be well worth its cost for the game and any subscription fees. Gamers of all types, particular MMOers, are looking for more from their games. Technology has come a long way and while snazzy graphics and interactivity are cool, many of us still…
The Old Republic Forums “Walkthrough” Episode 1: The Phantom Dumbass
The SWTOR Forums are a dangerous place, a murky place where men fear to tread (and rightly so) and trolls amble free through the threads. As with any online community, there’s a lot of drama to be had in there, and there are moments of genius hidden in amongst the more banal of conversations. Taking advantage of that mine of good material, Youtuber RussellW218 (or Russell Wilson, AKA Spikey on the forums) has added some simplistic animation (via XtraNormal) to one such conversation, to quite wonderful effect. So here we have it. A battle of wits, between an increasingly disgruntled, and ever-s0-slightly sarcastic Forum Moderator/BioWare representative, and his arch-nemesis – an infuriating n00b who sways between ludicrous questions and idiotic suggestions as to how the game could be all sorts of genius. Rather wonderfully, the n00b has literally no idea about the essential fundaments of RPG playing, criminally, and hilariously…
Petition Started to Make Star Wars Galaxies Free to Play
It has not been a surprise that many devoted Star Wars Galaxies fans are upset over the announcement that the game will be closing its doors in December. So many have decided to stop complaining and do something about it and have started a petition to make SWG free-to-play. The petition has almost 2200 signatures at the time of this write up so it’s clear that many gamers are serious about their SWG. The petition offers a solution to shutting down the game- making it free to play and supporting it through the sale of virtual goods. It also asks Sony to consolidate players into a fewer number of servers and allow character transfers to help reduce the costs of keeping the game running. It’s not a completely far-fetched idea as many other games have found success from switching to a free-to-play format. Lord of the Rings Online is a…
What Do Gamers Want from SWTOR?
With the countdown to SWTOR going strong, we find ourselves discussing why we are interested in the game and what we really want from this Star Wars MMO. While most everyone loves the idea of playing a Jedi, the answers go deeper when you really ask about. Some gamers are just long time fans of the Star Wars franchise and these are the devoted groups you find willing to check out any SW theme game that comes along. Then there are those who love MMOs and are tired of the many fail MMORPGs that keep finding their way onto the market. Some of us are just looking for a great MMO that isn’t World of Warcraft. Then there are some who want to be able to fly an spacecraft. Are you excited for the space combat? Or not interested in that at all? Some like the…
Bantam and Del Rey STAR WARS novels Come to eBook Format
Today the library of Bantam and Del Rey STAR WARS novels will be available in all eBook formats at Random House. Beginning today, just as it was previously announced, you can get the entire catalog of Random House’s Star Wars novels on digital format. This is a great opportunity to enjoy all of your favorite books on your e-reader or even on your computer. Amazon’s downloads work on the company’s Kindle reader, as well as on any smartphone or tablet with a Kindle app. Barnes & Noble digital purchases are compatible with B&N’s Nook device. In celebration of the news, Del Rey’s Star Wars Books Facebook page has a fun trailer that’s really worth the view:
Species of Starwars: Bothan
Bothans is humanoid species identified by their short builds and fur-covered faces, Bothans are widely known as proficient and intrepid spies. However, members of the species have also become fearless leaders, relentless warriors, courageous pilots, and brilliant scientists. As a species, Bothans have been mastering the art of information-gathering for many years. The resulting Bothan spynet is among the largest and most renowned intelligence organizations, with operatives stationed throughout the galaxy. In fact, spying has become the Bothans primary industry. Since the outbreak of the Galactic Civil War, the Bothan spynet has primarily benefited the Rebel Alliance, although both the Empire and the criminal underworld occasionally make use of Bothan spies as well. Due largely to their reputation as spies, Bothans are often regarded as power hungry, manipulative, cunning and paranoid. But Bothans are also well-organized, keenly intelligent, and very loyal. They live orderly lives, place great emphasis on family…
Greenpeace: VW Are The Dark Side
In response to one of the greatest advertising campaigns ever to hit TV by VW, Greenpeace have put out their own Star Wars themed ad, suggesting that the German car manufacturer are affiliated to the Dark Side even more than the little Darth Vader advert originally suggested. Aping the original ad, in which a diminutive Darth adorably struggles to use the force, Greenpeace have introduced a whole raft of Rebellion characters, who confront Darth (who the ad positions as VW’s spokesman of sorts). It’s all terribly clever, though it somewhat devalues the Dark Side by suggesting the grand plan was to destroy Earth via a cunningly conceived opposition to CO2 emission cuts. Terrifying. Anyway, the video is great (hence the rise of some 60,000 views in a single day!!!): They’ve also released a follow-up – titles Episode II surprisingly – which is altogether more light-hearted, and features a frankly creepy…
Mike “Gabe” Krahulik from Penny Arcade Talks about SWTOR
What does Penny Arcade think about SW:TOR? Now you can find out because Mike Krahulik, known as Gabe on PA, has had access to the friends and family beta of SWTOR and now we has permission to share his impressions with us via the Penny Arcade Blog. Gabe starts off, “Honestly they had no idea what I was going to say which must have been a little scary considering this is PA, but lucky for them I actually really like their game.” That’s good news for TOR fans as well. Gabe tells us he thinks TOR will live up to its expectations. We know the PA guys can be pretty critical so this is a positive for BioWare/TOR. He compares the questing in TOR to other MMOs: “Turning the quests into an interactive experience makes me care a lot more about them. A quest is still a chance to get…