If you’re looking for information about Star Wars: The Old Republic beta play, the good stuff will be few and far between. This is because the people who have access to the beta are prohibited from talking about things that BioWare has not already released publicly, as with any closed beta. Yet, just like with any other popular game in beta, there are going to be leaks. AlterSWTor is one such place where beta leaks exist. This is where we came across an interesting SWTOR Beta review but consider yourself forewarned that SPOILERS exist. Here they have a screenshot from the SWTOR beta forums along with a thorough review about the game from a beta perspective. This is interesting stuff for any fan looking for more info who has not had their own chance to preview or get into beta. The TOR Beta review includes info like: Character Classes (Will…
The Fan Fiction Contest Is Now Underway
Corellian Run Radio discusses the Fan Fiction Contest that is now underway. Kellmorn, Star Wars: The Old Republic forums, is putting on this contest and you can be a part of it by sending in your submission right away. Several forms of submissions are acceptable which include comic, written pieces and audio so choose the one that you can do the best. A sketch must be provided along with the submission of the main weapon or gadget used by the character but don’t worry, it’s not about how good you can draw. It’s so Ironcleaver can produce an award for them. The eight winning submissions will receive a high quality 3D image of the main characters weapons or gadget, which is a unique and exciting prize. The Grand prize winner’s piece will be “acted out and recorded in an audio-book format by The Followers of Palawa”. Each submission is done…
Star Wars Episode VII: Battle of The Old Dudes
Ever since someone got the bright idea of animating a light-saber into that fat jedi kid video the trend has established itself as something of a regular feature on the video sharing site. If we’re perfectly honest, the situation has got a little out of hand lately, and its been fairly done to death. But perseverance is a wonderful thing, and just when you think you’ve enjoyed your last light-saber duel, something like this pops up to side-swipe you and reinvigorate the sub-genre again. It all seems to have escalated from a road rage incidence in rural France, with a fairly drunk looking tractor driver taking out his aggression first on his enemy’s car and then on his body. What ensures, with a little animation magic, is a beautiful thing…
How To Secure your MMO Account
This is a Guest post by Tim Hiteshew. Tim is an IT professional living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He blogs at BloggingTor where he shares his thoughts on all things in the SWTOR universe from character creation to endgame content and everything in between. Imagine the horror waking up one morning and discovering that you couldn’t log into your MMO account. Countless hours of questing along with all of your epic gear, money, and even friends list are now in the hands of a complete stranger. Contacting customer support has proven useless. They have no way to verify that you are the rightful owner to the account and no way to restore everything that you’ve lost. How can you prevent this from happening? Following these simple guidelines will help ensure that you will never see your favorite MMO account on the back of a milk carton. Don’t Share. Forget what you learned on…
The Guild Sphere: Council of the Exalted
Thursday meens a new guild feature here on SWTORStrategies. This time the guild leader of Council of the Exalted took the time to answer our questions. Council of the Exalted is a PVE guild playing the republic side in the conflict. Where did your guilds name come from? Well me and my brother were just throwing out random guild names and then this one popped up and we thought it was awesome so we researched it and no one else had it so we created Council of the Exalted Can you give me a quick 2-3 sentance description of your guild? We are the Exalted, Council of the Exalted. We are the fragile line between victory and complete domination. We are in a word, “winners” Stay cool and keep your hood up. REPRESENT. We accept all classes and any race. How did your guild come about? Started as a family and…
TORWARS.COM Community Highlight = LOLz
You are reading an article on SwtorStrategies, so you clearly have excellent taste in SWTOR fan-sites. That being said, you have got to check out one of our fellow fan-sites TORWARS. Their style is much different than the rest of the community because of their sense of humor. They have a comic called ‘Fail Hunter” that stars the worst Bounty Hunter of all time and his adventures through Star Wars MMO-Land. There a tons of MMO, Star Wars and Nerd jokes to go around. Also their featured articles go in-depth into particular topics like classes, planets and even storm trooper costumes. The podcast has an injection of unsavory humor that is infectious. FTW Broadcasting put together another high quality community highlight video that explores the humor and content that makes TORWARS.COM worth checking out…
Facebook Image of The Week #23
It’s Wednesday again, and we the fans get “treated” with yet another official screenshot of SWTOR. BioWare has just updated the facebook fange page with this nice image: Fighting back an invading boarding party, the Smuggler draws his weapon before the Mandalorian can attack. A fair screenshot I guess, but somehow I want more. There for I searched the interwebs and came across this little jewl, showing off Miralukan eye-bands. Enjoy:
Star Wars Fan Movie Winner: Unlimited Power
Comic Con 2011 was a veritable moving feast of delightful nerdery – from new toys an merch unveilings to those over-subscribed panels and sneak peeks at upcoming films and games. And in amongst the cosplay devotees and the casual dorks alike, the winner of the Star Wars Fan Movie Awards’ prestigious George Lucas Selects Award was chosen and congratulated by a host of nerdy on-lookers. This year’s winner of the award, presented by Lucasfilm and Atom, was Los Angeles-based filmmaker Eliot Sirota for his film, Star Wars: Unlimited Power. The film isn’t your usual fan-made fare in that it doesn’t seek to tell a story of a different part of the Star Wars universe to those shown in both trilogies, preferring instead to take the fake marketing approach that serves many fan poster-makers so well. And it was a deserved winner in my book: The film-maker spoke to The Official…
The Fastest and Funniest LEGO Star Wars Stories Ever Told…
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…