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Server merges happen today, plus allowed characters bumped to 12 for everyone

September 18, 2012September 11, 2020 Soeren Kamper

We have known for a couple months now that Mega servers were on the way. We have now reached the last part of the process as BioWare merging the last servers today. Earlier this summer we launched the Free Character Transfer Program which offered players the option to transfer their characters from specific origin servers to selected destination servers. Following the success of the Free Character Transfer Program, and after closely monitoring server populations, we have now taken the next step in our on-going server population balancing process. We have upgraded destination servers in order to support a significantly higher number of players. As of tomorrow, all characters on origin servers will be automatically moved onto the upgraded high population destination servers. By centralizing our player populations on these higher population destination servers, we feel that we can offer our players the best possible Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ experience. As a…

Game Update 1.4 is now on PTS, here are the patch notes

September 11, 2012June 3, 2024 Soeren Kamper

BioWare have already hinted alot about the upcomming patch 1.4 with there dev blog the other day. Now we get to try out the patch on the public test servers. Seems like a ton of great changes overall. Match to chest for companions, offhand modification, new gear level, addressing the pvp gear gap, return to where you were after a lfg queue… lots of stuff that they have listened to people asking for. Check out the patch notes below: Highlights Terror from Beyond, a new Operation, is now available! Travel to the remote planet of Asation, where the Dread Masters have commandeered an ancient Gree Hypergate in order to unleash untold horrors upon the galaxy. Terror from Beyond features 5 powerful new boss encounters that can be challenged in 8- and 16- player Story or Hard Mode, offering some of the most challenging group content yet! A new set of PvE gear…

BioWare Responds to Questions on the latest Developer Blog

September 7, 2012September 10, 2020 Soeren Kamper

A few days ago, BioWare posted a blog update by Senior Designer on Star Wars: The Old Republic Austin Peckenpaugh. The blog post was mainly about class changes and balance in the comming major update: patch 1.4. With that, the forums went crazy with questions for BioWare and so far the mods have been good with a few examples on how the new system will work in the future. Read our copy/paste below, or check out the full thread on the official forum. Allison Berryman Consider the following examples under the new system:ex. A: Player A stuns the target for 4 seconds. 1 second after the stun is applied, player B stuns the same target for 4 seconds. The target is controlled for a total duration of 5 seconds. Player A stuns the enemy for 4 seconds | effective control duration = 4 seconds | enemy gains 800 Resolve 1 second later,…

EA/Bioware F2P Hiring

September 1, 2012September 9, 2020 Lisa Clark

Have you ever wanted to work for a game company? Now that SWTOR is going free, Bioware is recruiting new employees to help aid this expansion. The company’s headquarters are located in Austin, Texas and they are looking for a Digital Merchandising Specialist. This position does require that the applicant work well in a team setting in order to have the transition from a for play game to a free game to go smoothly. So do you have the qualifications to apply for this great job opportunity? The following is an excerpt from Linkedin that was posted by BioWare and shows the job description: “BioWare’s Analytics and Reporting team aggregates, analyzes, and reports data in order to inform decisions and track KPIs. The Austin studio is looking for an experienced, energetic, full-time Monetization Analyst (Digital Merchandising Specialist) to work with our development team. This person will focus on analyzing, managing,…

Leveling Guide 1 through 400 for Artifice

August 2, 2012September 4, 2020 Lisa Clark

The patterns in this leveling guide for Artifice crafts are only available from an Artifice Trainer and they’re for the Force users. The Jedi Knight, Jedi Consular, Sith Warrior and Sith Inquisitor are the classes that can use Artifice gear and mods. The primary gathering skill used in Artifice is Archaeology using artifact fragments and power crystals. The secondary mission skill needed is Treasure Hunting with Gemstones. After you complete a step, train for the next level by visiting the Artifice Crew Skill Trainer. You can cut back on some of the materials needed for crafting Artifice if you use reverse engineering for everything you craft. However, this process produces random materials so it’s impossible to calculate a precise number for players to use. For this reasons, this leveling guide is based on the materials needed when reverse engineering for Artifice is not used. Here are the materials needed for…

An Honest Personal Review on SWTOR Endgame

July 27, 2012September 4, 2020 Lisa Clark

There are a lot of naysayers about SWTOR these days. In fact, since the game was in pre-launch phase, there were haters who protested and insisted the game would be a massive failure. While many are now trying to say that prophecy has come to light, not everyone believes this. In fact, there are still quite a few players who are happy with the current state of SWTOR and impressed with the game overall and in general. Reddit and the subreddit of SWTOR is not always friendly to those who love SWTOR but here is one poster who had a thorough report of Here is a snippet of the review talking about endgame content: So I finally get to the max level and am ready to finally “play the game” as I would say. First thing’s first — I need gear. A bit of online research tells me that Recruit…

KOTOR and other Star Wars games is on the The Steam Summer Sale

July 12, 2012September 3, 2020 Soeren Kamper

The steam summer sale is on, and as expected, the servers are crashing. There are tons of great games on the list, but due to the nature of this blog, we will only list the Star Wars games. For a complete list of all games available, check out Greg Voakes article over at Forbes. I felt a great disturbance in the force, as if millions of dollars cried out in terror and were instantly spent. Star Wars Collection: $49.99 (-50% off) Star Wars Battlefront II Star Wars Jedi Knight Series Star Wars Republic Commando Star Wars Starfighter Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes Star Wars The Force Unleashed Series Star Wars: Dark Forces Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Star Wars: Empire at War: Gold Pack. Just a friendly heads up to people contemplating buying a game. If it is not one of the daily deals, do not buy it until the last day of the sale….

Current Available Transfers – Complete List June 13

June 14, 2012September 1, 2020 Soeren Kamper

Well, here we are on day 2 of server transfers and it seems some of the kinks are getting worked out. We brought you details of the server transfers yesterday but it does seem that more details are being worked out regarding server transfers. Some players were having issues with moving all 8 characters to a new server. On the last one, they would get a hangup and it would not transfer. BioWare kindly provided this workaround on the forums: We have a workaround for this issue: Log into the server where you have 7 successfully transferred characters Create a new character, species/profession are not important Once you are through the login intro, log back out to character select Delete the new character. Return to the character transfer page, and it should correctly list 7 characters on the destination server Should you require any further assistance, please post here. Reddit…

How to Get and Upgrade your Starship in SWTOR

May 8, 2012August 26, 2020 Lisa Clark

Where would a Star Wars game be without starships? This is one of the interesting features of SWTOR, although many agree that the space battles are lacking (hopefully that will be remedied in the future). Still, spaceships/player ships/starships are an amazing thing. This is a place to relax (gain rested), talk with your companions, travel to other words or even access your Cargo Hold. They will also be adding a Galactic Trade Network terminal to the starships. In the future, you will also be able to allow friends to visit your starship if they have their own already. So it’s no surprise then that one of the most common questions new players as is “How do I get my starship in SWTOR?” After this, the next question is how to get the upgrades for it to make it stronger in space battles. Here’s a guide to all of your questions…

Patch Notes: 1.2.2 Patch Notes – 5/1/2012

May 1, 2012August 25, 2020 Soeren Kamper

Servers are now back up after a short maintenance. This time BioWare have been busy fixing bugs. Personally I am happy that companion earpiece and implant stats really does seem to be fixed this time around! Classes and Combat General Corrected an issue that prevented damage shields (such as Force Armor) from re-applying properly when activated before the current damage shield expired has been addressed. Trooper Commando Plasma Cell now correctly deals its damage 3 times per application. Companion Characters General Corrected an issue that caused companion stat bonuses from equipped items to be miscalculated when the companion was resummoned. Crew Skills General Corrected some performance issues related to opening the crafting window if it contained a very large number of schematics. Crafting Skills Some gear that could be reverse engineered but erroneously displayed the “No Research Available” tooltip has been corrected. Gathering Skills Slicing Premium Slicing lockboxes now yield the correct amount…

Server Merges Still Possible as BioWare Responds to Criticism

April 18, 2012August 25, 2020 Lisa Clark

“Are server merges a possible solution? Absolutely. Are character transfers a possible solution? They’re a definite solution and we’re going after that first. But all things are on the table. Our entire goal is to make sure that players are playing in the environment they want to, with the type of community and the size of population they want, and we are driving towards all of that,” says Lead Designer Daniel Erickson to Now Gamer. BioWare has been working hard to boost the game, bring in new content and bring back old players with game update 1.2, yet players are still complaining that server population is dropping. So now BioWare is looking at ways that they can combat the low server populations in SWTOR. Being part of a low pop server is no fun at all when you want to do something with other players (and this is an MMO,…

TOR TV: Goodbye Azeroth (I’m Gonna Be A Sith Lord)

April 15, 2012August 25, 2020 Soeren Kamper

This video is fairly old and for some reason it slept under our radar. This song is for anyone who has grinded their life away in WoW and now does the same in SWTOR 😉 Check out the lyrics below the video. I can’t fight in the Ruins of LordaeranI’m preparing for the day we blow up AlderaanBlow up Alderaan. My days are over as a spellcasterIt’s time for us to strike and kill the Jedi MastersJedi Masters Because I know I’m going to the Dark Side…. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, AzerothI’m gonna sleep inside my tauntaun on Hoth.Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye to the HordeI’m gonna be a Sith Lord… If I ever wanna be like Darth Vader,I’ll have to slaughter villages of Tusken RaidersTusken Raiders So I won’t have time to fish in DalaranI’ll be attending the academy on KorribanOn Korriban Because I know I’m going to the…

Husband how to get back together with your ex

April 9, 2012August 25, 2020 Editor

With patch 1.2 not far off, everyone is preparing for what changes this might be to their played class. For the Jedi Guardian, a lot of changing are incoming. Most, however, are not aimed at the Defense Guardian. A few key changes are on the horizon that may help the Guardian, as a whole, in the long run, including a brand new ability. Relevant 1.2 Patch Notes: Added Focused Defense, a new ability that allows the Guardian to spend Focus to lower threat. While active, one point of Focus is spent each time damage is taken to heal the Guardian for a small amount. This ability is usable while stunned and is not limited by the global cool down. Defense Blade Barrier is now located in Tier 4 of the skill tree. Blade Storm no longer consumes stacks of Courage while the “Momentum” buff is active. Command no longer…

Live the Ship Droid Experience! New SWTOR Minigame

April 1, 2012August 24, 2020 Lisa Clark

You thought BioWare had already given you just about everything you could do in a game but there was one more thing we were missing- BioWare posts: Cruising around the galaxy in your own personal starship is an important aspect of Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. The player’s starship is like a home, and the player’s companions are like a family. No one knows this better than the dedicated Ship Droids who maintain the vessels: C2-N2 for Republic characters and 2V-R8 for Imperial characters. Jedi Knights, Smugglers, Bounty Hunters and the other class characters may be the heroes in the wider galaxy, but on board the starship, the Ship Droids are the heroes. That’s why, as part of Game Update 1.2, you will soon be able to assume direct control over your Droid’s actions with Ship Droid™, a brand new mini-game coming to The Old Republic! Features of this mini-game…

Your Legacy Begins: SWTOR Dev Blog

March 30, 2012August 24, 2020 Lisa Clark

The time is here- well, almost. If you’ve been waiting months for your Legacy to mean more than just an experience bar, it’s nearly time to launch it all. Game Update 1.2 means the Legacy system will grant you the newly expanded Legacy Panel and many great new features. Yow will access these my pressing the “Y” shortcut key. We’ve been writing about this a lot lately and trying to bring you all the news and coverage we can find since Guild Summit but the dev team has brought us all a very informative blog post covering the Legacy System. It’s a must-read, even if you don’t normally follow all of the dev posts. “Where would you start if you were constructing the Skywalker family tree? Let’s start with Anakin. If you ask me, Anakin is a level 50 Sith Warrior anchoring the top of the family tree. He’s married…

SWTOR Tips: Which Crew Skills Should I Choose?

March 29, 2012August 24, 2020 Lisa Clark

If you are new to the game of SWTOR or just made a new character and you want to know which crew skills to choose, here are some guidelines to help you. First, you can choose any crew skills you want. However, just like crafting in any MMO, there are certain skills that make more sense to certain classes. There are also companion bonuses that come with certain crew skills. Here’s an overview to help you make your decision. Just keep in mind, it’s not set in stone and ultimately, you can choose anything you feel like doing. Play the game your way and have fun! Class / Skill Recommendations Smuggler / Imperial Agent Armor: Armormech, Scavenging, Underworld Trading Weapons: Armstech, Scavenging, Investigation Trooper / Bounty Hunter Armor: Armormech, Scavenging, Underworld Trading Weapons: Armstech, Scavenging, Investigation Sentinel / Marauder Armor: Synthweaving, Archaeology, Investigation Weapons: Artifice, Archaeology, Treasure Hunting Guardian /…

Georg Zoeller, you show dem Forums!

March 14, 2012August 23, 2020 Lisa Clark

Georg Zoeller is a funny guy. We’re not laughing at him, we’re laughing with him on this post in the official forums where some players seem to have complaints about the guild summit, 1.2 and what is and is not coming in the future of the game. Originally Posted by Coldin One thing that I was really hoping would come out of the Guild Summit was more information on what class balances would be taking place in 1.2. There’s been some hints here and there that changes are coming. IGN even reported that Jedi Knights will be receiving some new skills, while Bounty Hunters will be receiving a nerf. In fact, entire skill trees are changing so greatly they’re actually refunding our skill points for free. However we have yet to see any details about this. With 1.2 being pushed out to early April, it’s becoming more difficult for me…

SWTOR Guild Summit Legacy Presentation

March 13, 2012May 24, 2024 Lisa Clark

The Legacy Presentation was one of the most important parts of the Guild Summit. This is because we learned that what is currently just a pretty bar was actually intended to be the very lifeforce of the entire game! The Legacy System will be intertwined in everything else that happens in the game. It will affect each system of the game and the wait is almost over! The devs explain that they were sad to have to launch SWTOR without the fully working Legacy System in place but they had to pull it back to get the finishing touches on it. Now it’s finally nearing completion and ready for us all to experience. It’s a labor of love and they are hoping we will love it! Here are the highlights of what the full Legacy System will bring us: Family tree: decide your allies, kids, wives/husbands – its super cool…

SWTOR Flashpoints: New Player’s Guide

February 29, 2012August 22, 2020 Lisa Clark

As a new SWTOR player, you need the basics of flashpoints so you can get started in the game and learn the ropes. This guide is designed to help you do just that. Here you can find all the information you need to get started and to advance in the game to become an intermediate player. It includes the basics to get you started. What this guide is not: This guide is not a specific breakdown or walk-through of any specific flashpoint. Rather, it is an overview of what you need to know to succeed in flashpoints, especially if you are new to the game. Let’s begin… First, you should know that flashpoints are the same thing as dungeons in other MMO games. This is where you’ll find the best loot drops and it’s where the hardest fights take place. Normally, you’ll get a quest for the flashpoint before entering…

How to Master Huttball: SWTOR PvP Guide

February 25, 2012August 22, 2020 Lisa Clark

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…

1.1.2 Patch Notes — 2/7/2012

February 7, 2012August 20, 2020 Soeren Kamper

Here are todays patchnotes. This patch fixes SO many issues like the Rakata weapons wich are now a correctly rated 140 – so finally time for a weapon upgrade. There are also a few “but why” updates in the patch, like this one: “Rakata reusable stims and adrenals have been reduced in power, providing buffs equal to Energized stims and adrenals. However, the tooltips for these items have not been updated and will still display old values.” – WHY? Anyways. Check it out below: Classes and Combat Combat Ability Responsiveness Further improved response time for ability activation requests, especially in low-framerate situations. The activation bar now appears at the correct time (when the activation of an ability begins) and disappears when activation is complete. Instant combat abilities no longer occasionally start their combat animations twice, resulting in jerky behavior on the executing player’s client. The display of the floating text from instant healing…

1.1.1 Patch Notes — 1/31/2012

January 31, 2012August 20, 2020 Soeren Kamper

As we all know BioWare took down the servers for some weekly maintenance today. As always they took the time to upload a new patch fixing bugs etc. Normally I don’t mind the maintenance as I work while the servers are down, but this weeks I’m on vacation so I was quite sad that I couldn’t level my Trooper. Then I thought I would catch up with some good old World of Warcraft – only to find out that the servers was down there to: Anyways. Below are this weeks patch notes. Enjoy! Classes and Combat General Fixed a bug that could cause the Global Cooldown to appear as if it has been cancelled when it is actually still in effect, resulting in a feeling of unresponsiveness to input. Corrected an issue that could cause an ability icon to appear usable but be unresponsive to clicks or keypresses for several seconds. Players revived by other players, including…

Star Wars: The Old Republic Patch 1.1

January 18, 2012August 19, 2020 Soeren Kamper

SWTOR’s first major game update is now live! The updates goes under the name ‘Rise of the Rakghouls’ and features a number of additions to the game, including a brand new Flashpoint titled ‘Kaon Under Siege’ and an expansion to the ‘Karagga’s Palace’ Operation that more than triples its size! In addition to the new playable content and new item sets that you can acquire, Game Update 1.1 includes a number of bug and other various fixes which you can see in detail in the Game Update 1.1 Patch Notes below: Edit. SWTOR-Tanking.com did a small video going over the patch notes: General Anti-aliasing is now available and can be enabled in the preferences menu. Classes and Combat General Healing caused by crowd control abilities no longer generates threat. Tooltips for abilities modified by skill points now display correct damage values. Guard This ability now transfers to a new friendly target without…

Old Republic update 1.1 being tested, adds New Bosses and a Raid

January 10, 2012August 19, 2020 Soeren Kamper

Last week BioWare released this week’s patch notes for the Old Republic test servers, which shows several exciting features in update 1.1 like a new Flashpoint and anti-aliasing. The new Flashpoint, “Koan Under Siege,” is designed for your standard four players at level 50. In addition to the new instance, four more bosses are being added to “Operation: Karagga’s Palace.” Other cool new features in 1.1 is anti-aliasing added to the game, an option previously unavailable, PVP has been adjusted, as well. Level 50 players now get their own, exclusive, warzone bracket. Fear not, however, level 49 players will still be available to murder you horribly. “”High priority” bug fixes are also being looked at, spanning various skills, companions, and that incredibly annoying healing aura. Check the official site for the complete list. Star Wars: The Old Republic – Game Update 1.1 General Anti-aliasing is now available and can be…