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…
Fatal Alliance vs. Deceived via Mark Pajor
The guys over at Corellian Run have some things to say about the characters of two SWTOR novels. Well actually, one guy in particular, Mark Pajor (@mpajor on Twitter) has an interesting write-up about the novels. Mark admits to never reading a Star Wars novel before this but decides he should become familiar with all areas of the lore, as he hopes to be a writer for Bioware one day (wouldn’t we all, Mark?) so he takes up Fatal Alliance and Deceived. I have yet to read them either so I appreciate Mark taking the time to give us some info. He starts off: “Fatal Alliance was my first Star Wars novel, and it confirmed all of my fears and reservations of reading one. Deceived, on the other hand, relieved my distaste quite a bit. Now, there’s a lot I could complain about writing-wise for both books. Instead, I’m going…
Imperial Agent talent trees leaked- Medic/Operative
Someone leaked screenies of the Imperial Agent talent trees over at Alter SWTOR today. They are interesting to say the least, but have some people questioning whether or not they are legit. As with anything that is leaked during a closed beta, we can’t be 100% certain it’s real unless we have played the game ourselves. And even if it is real, there is the disclaimer that this is just beta and many things- talents and talent trees included- are subject to change by the time the game releases. So while it may be little more than speculation, let’s go ahead and entertain the idea that these leaks might be legit and take a look. We get a nice peak at the UI, the talents and what levels they will be available to the class. We also get some info on what each ability does, the cooldowns and the amount…
‘Blasters, Beggars & Credits: Schubert Says No Infinite Money’
Lots of interesting news is coming out this week about SWTOR, much of it from SDCC. When it comes to the latest TOR news, we have got you covered. However, every now and then there is a post that someone else has just already covered better or that is exclusive to another fansite or news source but we have to bring it to you here because it’s interesting. Today, Ask A Jedi had one such post. This one comes from Momus, long-time reader and first time author. He talks economics- something that makes the MMO world go ‘round and tells us about two interesting interviews with Damion Schubert, Lead Systems Designer for The Old Republic. Important points made in the post: “Cost of sending companions on missions exceeds the vendor cost of materials returned Anticipating supply/demand economies (not a huge reveal there, I’m afraid) Won’t be able to just gather…
Interviewing Vette
Being a gamer girl and Star Wars geek myself, I was excited to see this exclusive interview by TORWars with actress Catherine Taber. If you don’t know who she is by looking at her, you’re sure to know her voice. She played Mission Vao in KOTOR the voice of Numa in The Clone Wars, and she’s also the voice of Padme Amidala in The Clone Wars. Now she has a new role and it’s a pretty important one for upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic. Taber plays Vette, the blue skinned Twi’lek companion character that we have all seen in advertisements and videos for SWTOR. Taber was at SDCC and was kind enough to take the time to give TORWars an exlcusive interview which they have up for the rest of us to enjoy as well. They talk with Taber about the roles she’s played, her voice acting and what…
Electronic Arts Q1 2012 Earnings Conference Call Live Blog
Today was the EA Q1 2012 Earnings Conference Call and we were interested in one thing- what they had to say about SWTOR. With this game being the pinnacle of the company at this time, you can guarantee they had a few things to say about it on the call. Here is an overview of the highlights of the call: John Riccitiello says that there were strong preorders for The Old Republic. He goes on to say, “Origin will scale quickly with Battlefield 3 and Star Wars: The Old Republic later this year.” Frank Gibeau says, “SWTOR targeted to launch in Holiday 2011, is able to ship with a variety of launch dates.” He adds to expect higher revenue from subscriptions for The Old Republic. John Riccitiello says, “We will launch SWTOR and battle to take a slice of the MMO market.” The conference calls move into the question and…
Bringing Generations Together
I wrote yesterday about how SWTOR was set to be a game to span decades. It’s also a game that seems to bring generations together. I’ve actually met countless people when talking about SWTOR who say they will be playing with their children, parents, siblings and other friends and family. My mom is 50 and she’s a big Star Wars fan. She’s interested in the game because of the storyline. My 5-year-old plays Lego Star Wars on his DSi and is just as excited that mommy will be playing TOR. But we’re not the only ones who have seen that SWTOR can bring generations together. Hellsworn made a heartfelt and interesting post about it on the official forums recently. He says: “So I am a older player. in my mid 40’s. So Star Wars in near and dear to my heart as it brings back very fond memories of my…
Video Roundup – the international pre-order madness
FTWBroadcasting has released an in depth video about the international pre-order madness. It includes videos, articles, and answers to many of the key questions out there for the international community.
Actual Confirmation – No Region IP block
When it comes to region blocks and no SWTOR on initial release to certain areas of the globe, there have been many, many questions. Allison Berryman, Senior Community Coordinator for SWTOR attempted to clear up some of the questions on the official SWTOR forums. In a post from earlier, Berryman explains: “Hello everyone. We know that you have questions about this topic, and we hope to have more clarification for you all very soon. For those who may not have seen Stephen Reid’s tweets from this weekend regarding some of these subjects, I’d like to share that information here. Regarding whether the game will block players from some regions by IP address: currently, there is no plan to block players from the game by regional IP blocking. Playing on servers physically distant from your location might mean you experience some issues with latency, but at this time we don’t plan…
Community Interview with James Ohlen
Of all the interesting interviews coming out this week and past weekend from SDCC, there was a great on one the SWTOR forums from community members GamewizX and Montybrython. If you’ve spent any time at all on the SWTOR, you probably know these two. Well, they were able to interview James Ohlen, Game Director of Star Wars: The Old Republic, and barrage him with questions directly from the community. You can find the entire lineup on the official forums and even post your own comments to the discussion. Here are some of the highlights: XYondaimeX asks: Will there be a Guild “tabard” (not an EXACT guild tabard ala WoW, just something to display a guild symbol.) or some other way to dis play a guild emblem? James Ohlen: Currently there is no sort of Tabard or emblem however it is something that is huge that we are missing. Jooki asks:…
BioWare Hopes to Expand Star Wars: The Old Republic into 2025
As reported by Darth Hater in a SDCC panel, BioWare hopes they will take MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic into many decades. What many are calling the first game to usurp World of Warcraft, it’s definitely possible if they pull it off. They hope to take SWTOR into 2025. Senior creative director, James Ohlen, explained at Comic Con that they the game has 19 major worlds. “Then we have an indeterminate number of minor worlds. And our goal, obviously this being an online game, that we’re hoping is going to last for decades, we’re going to be, obviously, adding more to the galaxy map as the game progresses.” He said. Ohlen adds, “We want to add dozens of worlds. Hundreds of worlds eventually. In 2025, we’ll hopefully have 500 worlds.” That is an enormous game! With each of the six classes promising 200 hours of gameplay, not counting things…
The Guild Sphere: The Rakatan
The Rakatan Infinite Empire has chosen site. You guys are all fucked! But It seems like they are nice guys. Read on below. Where did your guilds name come from? The name ‘The Rakatan” comes from an exploration of Star Wars lore that pre-dates the age of KOTOR, SWTOR, and the classic Star Wars galaxy at large, yet the themes presented by the Rakatan legacy are inexorably intertwined with the fate of the galaxy as a whole. The Rakatan Infinite Empire, for those who aren’t particularly familiar with the lore, was the Galactic Empire that constructed the star forge that figures prominently in the first KOTOR game, is at the crux of the Jedi Civil War and is ever present in the Star Wars backstory. The Rakata themselves were a sort of “master race” that became affiliated with the dark side of the force, founded the first truly galactic empire,…
BioWare Base Q&A #3 Video: SDCC News and Updates
Gamespot talks to Cory Butler, Bioware Producer, at San Diego Comic Con in one more piece of their great coverage of SDCC so far. Butler gives some general information about the game, most of which we already know, but interesting anyway. While this video doesn’t say a whole lot that hard-core fans of SWTOR don’t already know, it’s a great video nonetheless and it’s also very helpful if you’re still trying to convince your significant other of why you dropped that $150 on the Collector’s Edition pre-order. Check out the video here: