Penny Arcade’s Report column has an interesting interview with the BioWare founders. Drs. Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka visited with Penny Arcade editor in a nice hotel suite in Las Vegas doing yet another interview for the press. These guys never seem to mind talking about what they do and sharing info and fun with the fans. Ben Kuchera interviews the doctors and talks about TOR launch, ending a trilogy and what many people are asking- will there be a Mass Effect MMO: “We’re the fastest-growing MMO in history, and it’s really a credit to our fans,” Muzyka said. “The launch was fantastic.” Taking on World of WarCraft was considered a near impossibility in the world of online games, but Bioware has the strength of the Star Wars brand alongside the company’s ability to tell wonderful stories. It’s a hard game to say no to, even for MMO beginners like…
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Passes $1 Billion at Box Office
Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace has officially joined the very exclusive ranks of movies that passed the $1 billion mark. With $1,000,447,819 worldwide, Phantom Menace is the 11th film to reach this milestone and the first in the Star Wars series. Before its current 3D re-release, The Phantom Menace had about $926.1 million worldwide but thanks to a strong $74.3 million gathered across the world in this year, the once mythical billion dollar threshold was finally reached. To think that back in 1999 we only had a single film over that mark, Titanic, while today we have 11 and the number is sure to grow fast in the future thanks to 3D and the constant rise of movie ticket prices. Now The Phantom Menace might not be considered the most worthy of the six Star Wars flicks to reach such heights but realistically speaking, it was the…
How to Master Huttball: SWTOR PvP Guide
When you load into your first Huttball game, you may be totally confused. It may seem like a very complicated game but in reality, it’s pretty simple after you get the hang of it. Huttball isn’t a typical PvP scenario in the sense that killing isn’t your main objective. Instead, your main focus is on scoring goals. Think football meets an army obstacle course and you begin to get an idea of what you’ll be dealing with. You’ll have to deal with many obstacles such as multiple levels, fire pits and of course other players. You have to remember that your main goal is to score points. If your team has the ball, help get it to the other team’s pit and if the opposing team has the ball, kill them or intercept the ball. Whichever team has the most points at the end of the game, wins. If there…
TOR TV: PTR Patch 1.1.5 – Showing New Crystals, Shader Settings, /Random, & Speeder Price Reduction
This video shows the new PTR Patch 1.1.5 changes where /random functionality, new high-end preorder crystals, very low shader complexity were added and high end speeder costs were reduced. This video was created on February 24th, 2012, the same day the patch was released to the PTR. Any future changes are not reflected within. This is an additional change featured in PTR patch 1.1.5 that showcases the unnamed crystal vendor as well as the items sold by the vendor. This video was created on February 24th, 2012, the same day the patch was released to the PTR. Any future changes are not reflected within.
Zombie Star Wars Cosplay
This photo was taken on February 18, 2012 using a Nikon Coolpix S205. Who would survive a zombie apocalypse in a galaxy far, far away? These two might have some answers. Vill4no grabbed this awesome photo of zombie Star Wars cosplayers at Megacon 2012. This looked to be an awesome event and while this isn’t the only great photo he got, it was by far by favorite. In fact, it’s my favorite Star Wars cosplay yet! Check out his full photostream on Flickr for more great pics from the event- including more Star Wars (The Emperor, droids, dark side R2, jawas), Link, Drunk Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, Punisher, Batgirl and many more.
SWTOR PvP Healing Gripe: Long Player Names and Titles
There have been many gripes about SWTOR thus far and a lot of them I agree with. In some ways, it’s because the game is new and BioWare still needs to make some tweaks and changes for everything to roll out properly. In other ways, it’s just because gamers will forever complain about PvP until the end of time. It’s the nature of the beast. But some recent complaints I’ve heard about healing in PvP don’t make sense to me. I’ve read it on the forums and this user Darchseraph on Reddit posts: As a healer I find myself missing a lot of heals that result in people dying because I simply can’t click select my heal target. Yes, you can choose directly from Op screen, but sometimes there are multiple people getting low, but only 1 or 2 actively taking damage. I have to look at both screen and…
Understanding the Galactic Trade Network in SWTOR
If you have yet to use the Galactic Trade Network (GTN) in SWTOR, you might not realize yet that it is not an Auction House. Those who come from WoW or similar MMORPGs may be used to the auction house format but BioWare has done something different with the GTN. Different is not necessarily better for a lot of players. The GTN works by allowing the player to post an item for sale at a fixed price, along with every other player’s items. An auction house system allows players to post items with a minimum bid and lets the other players bid up to as much as they want for the duration of the auction- or to get it instantly with a “buy now” price. This isn’t the only difference with the GTN model compared to the models most MMOers are used to. The search function is also a bit…
Media launch of SWTOR to Australia on March 1st
It’s official and SWTOR will be launching to Australia on March 1st. That’s just a few days away and while there is no public launch event for the Aussies, BioWare and EA Australia do have a few things in mind to ring in the big day. TOROZ.com.au covers the news as well as an “ask Gabe a question” event that will take place at the launch. There will be a small press event in Sydney on the 1st with a special guest, BioWare’s Lead PvP Designer: Gabe Amatangelo. TOROZ is attending the launch and will have some time to speak with Gabe and ask him questions from the community so if you have a question you want them to ask, head on over to their site and leave it in the comments. They will be choosing the best questions for their interview session with Gabe. Read more at TOROZ and…
BioWare’s Mass Effect 3 Coming March 6th
The big day is almost here for Mass Effect fans. The third and final game in the Mass Effect series has a lot to live up to and if the single and multiplayer demo (recently released) is any indication of how the rest of the game will play, fans of the series have nothing to worry about. Mass Effect 3 comes out on March 6 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. ($59.99 on Amazon) Here’s some interesting Mass Effect 3 news: Razer And BioWare Reveal New ‘Mass Effect 3’ Gaming Gear Minimum System Requirements: OS – Windows XP SP3/Vista SP1, Win 7 CPU: 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (equivalent AMD CPU) RAM: 1GB for XP / 2GB RAM for Vista/Win 7 Hard Drive: 2.5 GB of free space Video: 256 MB* (with Pixel Shader 3.0 support) *Supported chipsets: NVIDIA 7900 or better; ATI X1800 or better. Please…
HeroEngine surpasses 5,000 licensees in part due to SWTOR
HeroEngine from Idea Fabrik now has more than 5,000 licenses, a feat they credit partly due to BioWare’s Star Wars: The Old Republic, which uses the platform. The success of SWTOR has been big and the German company believes that SWTOR’s success is one reason there has been such a spike in the licenses for Hero Engine. Following Star Wars: The Old Republic’s release, Idea Fabrik received thousands of inquiries about the engine last January from studios both large and small, more than in any other period in the company’s existence. Idea Fabrik believes it was able to attract its new licensees because large games built on its platform helped prove that its technology — which accommodates a wide range of online projects, from MMORPGs to social games — could handle titles of their scale. “This lowers the perceived risk of developers in adopting the HeroEngine platform,” claims Idea Fabrik…
TOR TV: Assassin vs. Assassin Duels. Zybak vs. Jerk
Are you wondering about PvP in SWTOR or looking to learn more about assassin vs. assassin duels? For anyone who plays assassin or just wants to learn a bit more about the class in PvP, this is a great video. It’s also fun to watch if you just want to know more about how PvP in SWTOR works. While each class is different in the abilities you can get, this video shows some techniques that are helpful to any player. Uploader Zybak explains the video, “This video is intended to show tips and tricks on how to beat other Assassins/Shadows in 1v1 duels. I duel the best Assassin on the server, Jerk. He is nearly valor rank 80 and has full Battlemaster pvp gear.” Check out the vid:
Mass Effect 3 : “Take Earth Back” TRAILER
The time is almost here and the Mass Effect 3: “Take Back Earth” trailer has been released and is boosting the hype for the new game. The trailer first aired on Sunday night and has gone viral on YouTube and Facebook in less than 48 hours. The fans are truly pumped up about this one. EA originally plannedto release the game in 2011 but delayed the launch until early 2012. It is oneof the most anticipated video game launches of the quarter and expected to be alarge market opportunity for EA. First week sales of Mass Effect 2 reached 2 million units,which can lead us to only guess that ME3 will do as well or better. Mass Effect 3 will be released onXBox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC starting with a US release on March 6. So here is the trailer if you’ve yet to see it for yourself:
1.1.4 Patch Notes — 2/22/2012
BioWare patched the game a day later then normal this time. We are all used to patches coming on Tuesdays, but for some reason the company chose today to bring the game up to version 1.1.4. Here are the full patch notes: General The key formerly bound to /bug can now be mapped to any action and no longer opens the /bug window. The command is no longer able to be bound to a quickslot, but player can still type /bug in chat to open a new bug report. Classes and Combat General Using abilities with indirect targeting (such as area of effect abilities) will no longer cause players to be flagged for PvP if a PvP-flagged player from the opposing faction is within the ability’s range, and the ability will have no effect on the PvP-flagged player. Imperial Agent Operative Medical Therapy: Kolto Probe and Recuperative nanotech will now properly benefit from this skill….
Rare Video Interview with Ackbar Voice Actor
“It’s a trap!” San Francisco’s SFGate.com has a rare video interview with KPFA radio dramatist Erik Bauersfeld. For those not up on their Star Wars trivia, Bauersfeld is the voice of Admiral Ackbar from Return of the Jedi. He is responsible for the iconic “It’s a trap!” line and he was also the voice of Bib Fortuna and he even auditioned for the voice of Yoda. Here are some interesting facts from the interview: When the movie first released, he wasn’t listed on the cast but has been credited since then. He was unaware that his famous line had become an Internet meme. He’s still never seen the original “Star Wars”. He saves Star Wars fan letters in a filing cabinet and writes a personal response to each one. Here is a few more videos you should checkout:
Some Kudos for BioWare Customer Service
We have seen a lot of posts about Bioware being evil and SWToR support being horrible. We’ve even published quite a few of those complaints here on the site. But now we’ve found another good example of BioWare staff doing something good. Some players have received automated responses from the CSR team saying their account is suspended for spamming or other violations of the terms of use but they don’t provide any information on what they did. When these players then contact the customer service team to get more clarification on what they did wrong, they sometimes receive the same automated-type message back. But here’s a player who feels he was wrongfully banned, wrote to BioWare customer service to try to find out what he did wrong (and avoid doing it again) and he got a positive response. BioWare admitted they made a mistake, removed the ban and compensated the…
New BioWare video: A Look At Star Wars: The Old Republic
BioWare have just released a brand new video entitled ” A Look At The Old Republic” This video is properly meant to be used for marketing purposes more then for giving game updates for the players. It’s still a fun view, even though it doesn’t contain any new information for veteran players. Check it out below: Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ has been an incredible hit, becoming the fastest-selling MMO of all time with over a million players starting their own Star Wars™ saga in the first 24 hours! See for yourself what just a few of these players have to say about their experiences with the game in this new video!
SWTOR Review from TechTalk
Once again, we see SWTOR in a big news source. CBS News has a review of the game in their TechTalk section. Their piece titled “Star Wars: The Old Republic puts the role-playing back in the MMORPG” tell us just that- how they feel BioWare put the role-playing aspect back into MMORPGs. This is a good point to make about the game. The story is the biggest selling point of this game and it’s the one thing that stands out and separates the game from other MMOs. They tell us: The Old Republic brings these staples of any good BioWare game and throws them into the culture of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG). The result is something that feels markedly different than anything other MMORPGs have to offer, while never straying too far from the established formula. This review is less of a review in the traditional sense and…
SWTOR Smuggler Gunslinger PVE/Leveling Build With Step By Step Point Allocation
Swtorsavior have released a new pve leveling build. This build is for the Smuggler using the Gunslinger advanced class in SWTOR. It is a PVE leveling build and as mentioned in the video is a good base if you want a solid leveling build as a Smuggler. As always I will recommend you to get the guide to get the full advantage of all swtorsavior.com amazing features. It is available right here.
Intergalactic Intel: An interview with Vodka
Graywulf has joined the party. “What the hell Niggles?!” “What?” My friend questioned in chat. “Yeah what?” Graywulf had no idea he had just intrrupted my interview. “I’m interviewing Niggles, I still have three more questions…” I added an emoticon to display my annoyance. “Why is he someone famous?” Niggles was silent. “Yeah. He’s ex-vodka.” Today I have a very special guest, a member a long time member of the renowned wow guild, Vodka. For those of you who don’t know Vodka is one of the top US guilds and previously one of the top world guilds for end game PvE content. So without further ado: Me: Let’s start with the basics. Who are you? Niggles: Niggles 😮 Oh, a real answer? Okay. I’m an ex-vodka member Veiled to be exact. Me: So why did you pick sage? Niggles: I wanted to have a class that could heal and put…
Some Useful PVP/Warzone Stats/Info
Do you love PvP in SWTOR? Are you into warzones or just wanting to learn more about them? Whether you’ve reached the level cap yet or not, PvP can be fun in SWTOR. Warzones can break the monotony of leveling or give you something to do at level 50. It’s also a way to build gear for yourself. If you want to learn a little more about the warzones, there is a useful resource you need to bookmark. Dulfy’s Healing Corner has some very useful warzone information and statistics for SWTOR. I love charts, stats and graphs so this is right up my alley. It covers gear, expertise and PvP bonuses, warzone medals, valor and amount needed for next level, resolve system details and so much more. It’s one of the most complete SWTOR PvP resources I’ve seen so far. For example, here are medals that you can…
PSA: Macro keyboard/Mouse are NOT Allowed
An interesting post on Reddit claims that macro keyboards and mouse combos (like the SWTOR branded peripherals) are not allowed in the game. This is a topic we’ve written about here before. We’ve all been told that BioWare will not allow in-game macros for SWTOR. And yet, they are endorsing these SWTOR themed peripherals (at a very high price tag) that allow macroing. So the argument can be made about why can someone with these types of peripherals use macros but regular players cannot? He posts this as a response he claims to have gotten from a BioWare customer service member: Greetings Xxxxxx, I am Protocol Droid U3-L0 of Human-Cyborg Relations… I have received your transmission regarding your query about the Swtor gaming keyboard and mouse by Razer. All of us here on the Star Wars: The Old Republic team would like to thank you for your support, and let…
TOR TV: Ode to Corso Riggs
Corso Riggs… do you love to hate him? Then you will absolutely love this song, “Ode to Riggs”. Fcroaonlk has created this fantastic song that will give you a lot of laughs. The song is divided into some of his main issues with Corso. The song download link will be available at 1000 views so check it out and share it with your friends, too. It was originally inspired by Suzume_Bachl’s… interesting post on the SWTOR forums. Here are some fun facts about the song: 1) I’m wearing a Yoda shirt that says, “Trust me, a Jedi I am”. 2) This was created with FL Studio, an H4n microphone, iMovie, fraps, and a smart-phone video camera. 3) I have exported this video about… 10-12 times since (a) my computer can’t handle the large video files, so I can’t actually watch it unless I export it and (b) I was working…
SWTOR Endgame Gearing Guide for Empire Players
One of the biggest questions gamers have when they reach level 50- the maximum level- is what to do next. How do you get geared up? What is there to do in endgame? SWTOR is still a new game so there is not a lot of advice or “common knowledge” in the gaming community yet about what to do. In fact, many players are leveling to the cap and then stopping because they don’t know what to do next or there are not enough people playing to do anything with. But you can bet that as the game has been out longer and more and more players get into it and reach the level cap, there will be more gamers to play with. So you can start right now getting geared up so you’re ready to go and you will be a few steps ahead of others, giving you an…
SWTOR Explorer’s Guide Review
If you’re looking for an additional bonus to help you enjoy SWTOR a little more, consider picking up a copy of Prima’s Star Wars: The Old Republic Explorer’s Guide. This official Prima guide for SWTOR has many amazing features and benefits to this guide but before you buy a copy, it’s important to know what you’re doing and what you’re getting when you buy it. First one, this is not a leveling guide. It will not tell you where to go to quest or how to quest. It’s not necessarily going to help you level faster. Instead, it’s an atlas for SWTOR full of class-specific tips, detailed maps in full color and descriptions of each location. Some of the benefits of this Explorer’s Guide includes: Summaries of the classes and specializations with detailed descriptions of the class and the character creation menu. Beautiful color maps of every area within the…
