Know your lore: Mission Vao

Mission Vao is one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars universe, known for her spunky attitude, street smarts, and unwavering loyalty. As a central character in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR), Mission has captured the hearts of fans with her youthful exuberance and the depth of her character. This article delves into the life and legacy of Mission Vao, exploring her role in the Old Republic, her connection to Revan, and her enduring impact on the Star Wars galaxy. Chapter 1: The Origins of Mission Vao Growing Up on the Streets of Taris Mission Vao’s story begins in the grimy, neon-lit streets of Taris, a planet with a divide as stark as day and night. If you were lucky, you lived in the Upper City, where the rich and powerful enjoyed their luxuries. If you weren’t so lucky—like Mission—you called the Lower City home,…

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Can BioWare Put The RPG Back in MMORPG?

You can’t help but wonder whether BioWare’s upcoming MMOG, Star Wars The Old Republic, will be able to port the same roleplaying aspect their successful single player games are known for to a new platform. Tentonhammer Have an excellent editorial about this: With story based MMOGs, I had hoped games would give us direction and purpose without losing the ability to make choices. Alas this was not to be–most current quest-based games give you little more than a choice between taking a quest or not taking a quest. I want to take a quest to kill a target and then be faced with the decision whether to actually kill them or let them go. Either way, there could be consequences for my actions. Let me piss off an NPC and have to face him or his minions later. Let me refuse to take a quest from an NPC vendor and…

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While we wait for The Old Republic: Makazie One

Makazie One is a fan film that made its debut on the Internet in September of 2009. It is a great film that features the voice of Jay Laga’aia. As with most fan films, be sure to watch additional footage after the credits. You can visit their website for more information. Set in the Star Wars Universe during the time period between Episodes 3 and 4, an elite soldier has been sent to track down and destroy a known threat to the Empire through intense ground battles and haunting imagery of death that surround the environment. The unsuspecting enemy to the Imperial Order has no idea what he is up against when the two finally meet for an action packed surprise ending.

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Threat Of Peace Issue #27

The next issue of Threat of Peace #27 has just been released: The twenty-seventh issue of Threat of Peace™ concludes the volume with a surprising turn of events as Jedi Knight Satele Shan, Fortris Gall, and Special Forces Lieutenant Tavus report their battle with the Sith to Master Orgus Din. The story comes full circle when Braden the Bounty Hunter finally completes the contract which got him tied up in this mess in the first place. Check out the final issue of Threat of Peace now.

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Returning to Taris

Once home to a sprawling planet-wide city, Taris was razed long ago by the Sith Lord Darth Malak while seeking to eliminate the Jedi Knight Bastila Shan. Now, a post-apocalyptic Taris is being realized in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. After 300 years, Republic and Jedi leaders are moving forward with the efforts at colonization. Watch insights from James Ohlen, Drew Karpyshyn, Scott Carpenter, and Mark How about the new environments – and adventures – awaiting players in Biowares latest Developer Dispatch: Returning to Taris:

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Planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic – Taris

Taris was an urban planet in the Outer Rim Territories. The term Tarisian was used to describe people and products from the planet. The planet’s ecumenopolis quickly developed over a century of prosperity, and as a result the planet suffered from massive overpopulation. Once a galactic nexus, Taris’ importance declined with the introduction of improved trade routes, and the planet rapidly fell into decay. The remainder of the planet’s history was wrought with civil disorder and social unrest. As it turned to industry as a means of compensation for its economic troubles, its oceans became polluted, eliminating the planet’s main food source. Famine spread among the lower classes while the rich hoarded what few supplies remained. The resulting strife led to the Tarisian Civil War, the start of lasting prejudices between the Humanocentric Tarisian nobles and the largely alien underclass. The city became segmented, and the lower classes were banned…

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While we wait for The Old Republic: Trial of Han Solo

Han Solo is on trial for the infamous murder of Greedo in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Throughout this trial the prosecution and defense provide evidence, counter-evidence, and double counter-evidence drawn from the 1977, 1997, and 2004 releases of the movie, in which the events in question are represented in three distinct ways. This is a must for all Star Wars fans (and for anyone interested in an extremely high-quality piece of filmmaking).

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Fan Friday with Fan Site Kit

Today’s update is a Fan Friday update, including some community art, two bits in the developer corner, a couple of new forum avatars and the Fan Site Kit. I’ll just be lazy and copy-paste the entire thing: Welcome to another exciting Fan Friday where we shine the spotlight on talented members of Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ community and share some gems from the Development Team. This week, we also want to present you with the official Star Wars: The Old Republic Fan Site Kit! We know you’ve been waiting for this, and we think you’ll be impressed. Be sure to see it all, plus check out the new avatars, and don’t forget to vote in the latest series of polls! Community Creations StandAlone has been busy creating some breathtaking Star Wars™ fan art. The three most recent paintings, Ambush, Inevitable Death, and Darth Satus were all created using TOR…

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HeroEngine Developer Simutronics Reorganizes

Gamasutra is reporting that Simutronics, who developed HeroEngine which, in turn, is being used by BioWare in Star Wars: The Old Republic, is reorganizing to support the growth of their engine business: Simutronics, the company behind the HeroEngine that’s used in MMOs including BioWare’s upcoming The Old Republic, has reorganized in order to support growth of its engine business. [Simutronics], founded in 1987, will now be home to two new divisions: HeroEngine and Simutronics Games. The company promoted Neil Harris to president of HeroEngine, overlooking licensee support, and Herb Marselas as VP of engineering. CEO David Whatley is taking over as president of Simutronics Games. HeroEngine is used by a wide range of customers, including large and small studios that make anything from games to government applications, Simutronics said in a statement. Aside from BioWare’s highly-anticipated MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic, HeroEngine is also licensed by Zenimax Online Studios,…

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Deceived Remix (ft. Hollywood Undead)

This cool remix is made by Jadaco The following is his own description from his youtube page: I don’t normally do this kind of thing. But, just for fun, after buying this song and later seeing this trailer, I played the song with the trailer’s sound muted. I was really surprised how well they synced up together. So much so, in fact, that I couldn’t fight the urge to completely remix the original audio of the trailer to underlay this song as an alternate score. I did NOT edit the song AT ALL for the sake of the video. I did NOT edit the video AT ALL for the sake of the song. What you see is just an awesome coincidence. I DID, however, have to remix a lot of the sound effects in order to get rid of the original music. If you compare the two, you’ll notice where…

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Know your lore: Darth Nihilus

Darth Nihilus is one of the most enigmatic and terrifying figures in the Star Wars universe. Known as the Lord of Hunger, Nihilus is a Sith Lord whose very existence is tied to an insatiable hunger for the Force, making him a formidable and tragic character. His story, from his origins to his role in the Old Republic and beyond, is a dark tale of power, corruption, and the consequences of unrestrained ambition. In this article, we’ll explore the life and legacy of Darth Nihilus, delving into his history, his influence on the Star Wars universe, and his enduring appeal. Chapter 1: The Origins of Darth Nihilus A Survivor in the Wreckage of War Darth Nihilus’s story begins not in the halls of power, but in the ashes of a devastating conflict. Picture this: you’re on the planet Malachor V, where the echoes of the Mandalorian Wars have left the…

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A Hard look at combat in SWTOR – Video

I don’t think combat has been talked up enough I think the combat advancements SWTOR is bringing to the MMO space are huge. After looking at some videos of the combat in other Triple “A” titles out there and comparing them to combat videos we have see for SWTOR you can start to see just how impressive some of the things we have been shown are. It’s difficult to picture until you see what we have seen in other MMO compared side by side with the combat in TOR. This video is put together so you can see what I’m talking about, in SWTOR Lightsabers clash and collide, effects are triggered (sparks and flashes) and blaster bolts are blocked. A cover system for the Agent and Smuggler classes could introduce a number of tactical PvE and PvP reboots as players learn how to take advantage of this system. The pace…

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Galaxy Map of known TOR planets

You may disagree with the location of some of the planets, but I think its pretty spot on. I have done a lot of research and looked up all the planets (description, history, rims, location etc.) White planets on map is confirmed and yellow is unconfirmed. Please feel free to drop a comment. Confirmed planets: Tython Korriban Hutta Ord Mantell Coruscant Balmorra Alderaan Tatooine Dromund Kaas Taris Uncomfirmed Planets: Illum: Ilum was the ice planet home to many of the Adegan crystals used in the construction of Jedi lightsabers. The caverns containing the crystals were long ago turned into a Jedi temple. Unlike the crystals of other planets, the crystals of Ilum could only produce green and blue lightsaber crystals. Naboo: Naboo was a planet that was the sector capital of the Chommell Sector near the Outer Rim territories. It was a largely unspoilt world with large plains and forests…

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Obsidian Developing Wheel of Time Games

Well over a year ago we reported that Red Eagle Games was looking to develop games (including an MMO) based on Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. Now they’ve announced that they’re partnering with Obsidian Entertainment to do the game development (for, I assume, the single player games). As Dragonmount reports: RED EAGLE GAMES SELECTS OBSIDIAN ENTERTAINMENT AS GAME DEVELOPMENT PARTNER Noted RPG Developer to Assist Red Eagle Games in Building Video Games Based on Robert Jordan’s Fantasy Series “The Wheel of Time” Malibu and Irvine Calif. – February 12, 2010 – Red Eagle Games and Obsidian Entertainment today announced they have entered into a services agreement which provides a comprehensive framework for Obsidian Entertainment to work closely with Red Eagle Games’ in-house development team to create new video games for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 based on Robert Jordan’s best-selling fantasy series, The Wheel of Time. “The…

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Taris: Legacy of Sith Destruction

This Friday brings us a new planet reveal. But first is the next issue of the Threat of Peace comic: The twenty-sixth issue of Threat of Peace™ delivers the final moments of the battle between the Sith and the Jedi in Dantooine’s crystal caves. The death of Master Dar’Nala restores the prospects for peace and Jedi Knight Satele Shan refused to continue the fight. As the Republic heroes guardedly depart the crystal caves, Lord Baras offers one final opportunity to Satele and a chilling prediction for the future. Check out the latest issue of Threat of Peace now. The more exciting update though is the unveiling of another planet, namely Taris. If you’ve played Knights of the Old Republic then you might remember Taris as the planet bombarded by Darth Malek (while you were still on it), which eventually destroyed all life. But now it seems that in an act…

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EA Earnings Call

Yesterday EA had its Q3 FY10 earnings call, during which (as I understand) they let shareholders know how the company is doing and where it is going. That means that we get a sneak peak at what they’re planning to publish in the coming year. Regarding Star Wars: The Old Republic they made statements which seem to suggest that (unsurprisingly) the game won’t be released before March 31, 2011. As VG247 reports: EA’s confirmed that BioWare’s Star Wars MMO, The Old Republic, won’t make the publisher’s next financial year. Speaking in EA’s Q3 earnings call last night, CFO Eric Brown said the game won’t ship in the 12 months ending March 31, 2011. “We are not assuming that we bring a major new MMO to market in fiscal ‘11. We will continue to increase significant development cost as we prepare this title for launch,” he said. Both EA and Lucas…

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Fan Friday: Composing the Sith Inquisitor Developer Blog

The latest Fan Friday content has been posted on the official Old Republic site! This week Sean presents the TOR community with a developer blog from writer Rebecca Harwick giving an overview of the Sith Inquisitor: When we set out to build our game, we knew we needed more than one Sith class. The original trilogy only has two Sith in it, but they couldn’t be more different: the heavily armored brutal physicality of Darth Vader compared to the frail but immensely powerful Emperor Palpatine. When we extend our inspiration to Episodes I-III and The Clone Wars cartoons, Count Dooku, Darth Maul, and Asajj Ventress further expand our concept of what a Sith can be. Is a Sith a lithe quick fighter who uses the Force to enhance his/her physical combat prowess, a calculating deceiver adept at Lightsaber duels, or a master manipulator and amasser of dark side secrets? Does…

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While we wait for The Old Republic: Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure

Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure is a 1984 made-for-TV film set in the Star Wars galaxy. The film focuses on the struggles of the Towani family, who have been stranded on the forest moon of Endor after crashing their starcruiser. Specifically, it deals with the quest of Mace and Cindel Towani—who are brother and sister—in locating their parents, who have been kidnapped by a monster known as the Gorax. The film is set sometime between the fifth and sixth episodes of the Star Wars saga. It is the first of two spin-off films of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. The film’s success led to a sequel, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, and a spin-off animated series which also focuses on the Ewoks. The film debuted with the title The Ewok Adventure as a holiday television special, airing on ABC on November 25, 1984. For its TV…

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Planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic – Dromund Kaas

Dromund Kaas was the third planet in the Dromund system, a colony then the capital of the Old Sith Empire and later the lasting base of the Prophets of the Dark Side, whose Dark Force Temple contained such power in the the dark side of the Force that most weapons, excluding lightsabers, malfunctioned on the planet’s surface. The site of a major battle during the New Sith Wars under Kaan’s Brotherhood of Darkness, for millennia the planet’s location was known only to a few, very select Sith Lords, falling almost completely out of the public eye. Description Dromund Kaas was located within the boundaries of Sith space, and the only planet in the entire Dromund system to support life. A wet, marshy world, the majority of the planet was either ocean or swamp, making it difficult for any pilots attempting to land to find a stable location to bring their…

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Gamasutra Interviews LucasArts President

Gamesutra has an interview with LucasArts President Darrell Rodriguez “On 2010 And Beyond. They talk about all kinds of games-related LucasArts things, but there are a few bit about The Old Republic as well, which I’ll quote here: You’ve worked with some obviously strong partners to bring some of the Star Wars game in recent years, like Krome. Do you hope to continue those relationships or are you staffing up to sort of bring back control of your products in-house? [Darrell Rodriguez]: We’re doing both. So, we’re definitely growing internally, like I mentioned. And we’ll also have phenomenal partnerships. We’ve got a great partnership with BioWare on The Old Republic, one of the best partnerships that I’ve personally worked with. I love working with Ray on a personal level, Ray and Greg, and we’ll continue to look for those opportunities. How closely do you work with BioWare? They have a…

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