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Galactic Living Livestream Notes

Lisa Clark

New updates are on the way. If you were unable to watch the Galactic Living Livestream, then you might have some questions about what was said and what we can all expect to come to SWTOR in the near future. There are many questions and also many tips that are released to us with this livestream. While Bioware has not released the number of players that can be inside a stronghold at once, it looks like the Nar Shaddaa stronghold can hold 70 players at once with 9 rooms. Taking some time to learn how hooks work will be very important. This will show you how to manipulate items within your stronghold. It will help you see where and how to put your stuff and how to get it looking how you want. In addition to decorations and interactivity, you will learn about pets, mounts and NPCs. You will also learn about…

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Former LucasArts President Joins Dungeon Defenders as CEO

Lisa Clark

Independent developer Trendy Entertainment has hired former LucasArts president Darrell Rodriguez as its new CEO. Trendy Entertainment, best known for its action-RPG Dungeon Defenders, is hoping the former LucasArts president will help lead their company to future success. Rodriguez tells Game Industry Biz: “When I first visited here I saw tremendous potential–both in Dungeon Defenders II and their cross platform backend and technology, Playverse, and needed to be a part of it. Working with talented, passionate people and putting them and customers first to help unlock Trendy Entertainment’s potential is why I’m here,” Rodriguez said. “I have been extremely fortunate to work with some of the most talented and passionate people across various creative industries and at some of the most renowned companies in the world. I am equally impressed and blessed to work with the passion and skill that exist at Trendy.” He also discussed that Trendy Entertainment will…

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New Star Wars: The Old Republic expansion “Galactic Strongholds” announced

Soeren Kamper

You heard that right folk’s. BioWare just announced the next expansion for SWTOR titled “Galactic Strongholds”. This new expansion brings customizable player housing known as strongholds to the game, as well as Guild capital ships! You will be able to acquire multiple Strongholds on different planets and customize them yourself. To start you’ll have options to set up on your faction’s capital world, the gambling planet Nar Shaddaa, or both. Decorating your crib can get you Prestige score, which can rise you to the top of the Stronghold Directory. Aside from the benefits of living stylishly, having a stronghold will let you transport friends directly to it so you can kick back and socialize. Guilds will also be able to launch Flagships when the expansion officially releases, though that functionality won’t be enabled for the early access. Here’s the official blurb: In Galactic Strongholds, players can live on multiple planets…

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DICE Stockholm Continues Development on Star Wars Battlefront

Lisa Clark

We have some good news regarding Star Wars Battlefront 3! The latest news on the release date is positive and after the past few quiet months, this is an exciting turn for the game. DICE developers have been deep in it working n BF4 issues and bugs but after the LA and Stockholm studios came together to get it all under control, we might see them focusing their efforts back on Star Wars Battlefront 3. The worst seems to be over and staff are back to working on the Star Wars: Battlefront 3 release date, which is expected sometime in 2015. Sounds like they may be intentionally planning it around the same time the new Star Wars movies will start coming out. iDigital Times tells us more: The news about DICE Stockholm’s renewed focus on Star Wars: Battlefront 3came by way of Reddit. During a discussion on Battlefield 4 DLC, a DICE rep told fans that the…

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EA May Take Title for “Worst Company in America” for 3rd Time

Lisa Clark

It’s that time of year again and The Consumerist is having their annual contest for the “Worst Company in America”. And funny enough, it looks like Electronic Arts may take the title for the 3rd year in a row. The process of nominations started already and will continue through 5 pm ET on Thursday, March 13. No company except EA has ever managed to win the prize two years in a row (2012, 2013) as we brought you previously. And now it looks like they could take it for a 3rd year. The winner of this prestigious title gets the Golden Poo award. Both times that EA won the prize, Bank of American was next in line. No offense to any readers who may work for BoA but I’m not too surprised. So will EA win out again and remain the reigning champion or will some other bad American company take the…

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SWTOR Galactic Starfighter New Player Guide

Lisa Clark

This guide explains the basic information needed to choose and fly a Galactic Starfighter ship. After reading, you should have a general idea of what to expect before you play, so you can learn to use the controls a little faster and easier. Even if you’ve been playing for awhile, you may still find some of the information useful. We’ll start with a quick overview of the ships so you’ll have an idea of which one you would like to try first. Galactic Starfighter Ships The Scout, Strike Fighter, Gunships and Bombers are the four classes of ships available. You’ll find three ships listed under each class except for the gunships and you’ll start the game with two ships unlocked. As you play and earn Fleet Requisitions, you can unlock the remaining ships or you can buy them with Cartel Coins. You can view the components of any unlocked ship…

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Known In-Game Issues: Updated December 4th, 2013

Soeren Kamper

Only 1 of these GS bugs is seriously affecting gameplay on a mechanical level. The rest are tooltips or cosmetic. Galactic Starfighter General When in Galactic Starfighter all audio can completely turn off, the issue is resolved as soon as you leave Galactic Starfighter. Attempting to change graphic settings while dead may prevent players from being able to queue for respawn successfully. The Cinematics button on the Character Selection screen does not function at this time. All Sensor Dampening upgrades are currently limited to 15k meters. Ship Mastery icons do not explicitly state the amount of Requisition bonus gained by their use. (10%) Chat Players of the same faction may occasionally see chat messages from other Battles. Cosmetics/Cartel Market After unlocking any “Gas Canister” or “Chemical Reactant”, the player can no longer re-select the standard (e.g. “None”) cosmetic options. Some cosmetics options, when previewed for purchase, will display a different…

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Documentaries: Mars, All aboard for the red planet

Soeren Kamper

Today I will post a recap of all the documentaries found on youtube regarding Colonization of Mars. There is a lot of speculation, reports and planning for Mars Colonies in the near future, this seems to come out of nowhere in the last few years. Not only by NASA who have always been luke warm ,but several groups and consortiums. Russia, China and now India are planning various missions to the red planet.  The Dutch are planning a Big Bros House, and there was an article encouraging older people to apply for first, for possible one way trips in case they cannot come back. Colonizing Mars [HD] Robert Zubrin, author and aerospace engineer, has the blueprints to build a colony on Mars. He and NASA Ames researcher Margarita Marinova explain how and why humans will one day turn the Red Planet green, establishing the next frontier of technological innovation and seeding the universe with…

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Game Update 2.4.1 Patch Notes

Soeren Kamper

patch 2. BioWare will be taking down the servers tomorrow for schedule maintenance and to deploy a new patch.  Below are the patch notes, but I have to say this is one hell of a fixing patch. They are  fixing lore on Quesh, Tatooine and Taris, They are fixing the group finder for operations. But I am most thankful for them making the debuff on the draxus cleansable by all classes. Nothing has pissed me off more on that fight than having to try to heal through the debuff when the other healers, even when called on it, wont cleanse the damn debuff. Well, that and DPS that dont know how to interrupt and then suddenly mass affliction for everyone! Game Update 2.4.1 Patch Notes General Priority Transport Terminals on the Republic Fleet have been adjusted and no longer fail to transport players in some instances. The “Area Loot” Preference now functions as…

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Free to Play Isn’t Play for Free

Lisa Clark

Many industry experts said that SWTOR could be setting the stage for a new F2P model for MMORPGs. Other said it would be the last subscription-based MMORPG and that they expect future games of the same caliber to be based around F2P models. That hasn’t exactly happened yet. While there are more free to play MMORPGs than ever before, there are still games coming out with subs, at least for now. And this brings up a great conversation about free to play MMOs. While a game may be labeled “free to play”, this doesn’t make it play for free. You still may end up needing to pay for certain features or items you want in the game. And you might have to pay for features that subscribing members don’t have to pay for. The upside is that you only have to pay for the features you want and you can…

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Swtor-mined: Not-So Super Secret Space Project | Preview #2 Spoiler

Lisa Clark

This time swtor_miner has brought us some incredible data mined info but this is the kind of stuff Bioware staff really don’t want us to find. Before you read any further, be aware that this will contain major spoilers and some players just prefer not to know at all. If that’s you, then click away and don’t read what was found about the super secret space project coming up in SWTOR:   DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES POST ANY OF THIS INFORMATION TO THE OFFICIAL FORUMS. THE POSTS WILL BE REMOVED AND YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE BANNED. IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!! Previous: Preview #1 Today I spent several hours and rewriting my adapted modelviewer to work more easily with the new ship models. I cut down the time necessary to prepare models by at least 90%, if not more. Then I spent a few hours (see below)…

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Game Update 2.3.1 Patch Notes – 8/21/2013

Soeren Kamper

Patch notes for today’s servers maintenance is up. This time they got around to fixing out-of-space Pierce and Double Risha and “If players receive a whisper while in the process of replying to another whisper, the reply no longer displays the correct name while incorrectly delivering the message to the name who whispered most recently.” Something that have annoyed a lot of players for over a year now. Whoever writes the patch notes has a wonderful sense of humor. Check out these two goldies: “Treek no longer attempts to accentuate her humble by sinking into the ground.” Skadge has given up his ventriloquism hobby and will move his lips when saying the line “You got somethin’ to kill, or what?” Wonderful stuff 🙂 Check out the full patchnotes below: Highlights The first Packs of Shipment Three are now available for sale on the Cartel Market! Most items in the Contractor’s and Freelancer’s Bounty Packs…

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Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR PvP Rant 2013

Lisa Clark

Are you a fan of PvP in SWTOR? If you are, then you might have a rebuttal for this SWTOR PvP rant from Hyperspace Beacon. Or maybe you’re none too pleased with SWTOR PvP and you agree with what they have to say. I agree that they make some good and valid points but overall, I enjoy PvP in SWTOR and I don’t agree with the rant. Also, they begin the piece that blasts into SWTOR PvP with the lines “I will not pretend that I see the whole picture. All I can see is the situation presented to me. And from my perspective, PvP in Star Wars: The Old Republic is broken.” Honestly, this opens the doors largely to criticism of this review because it’s little more than an opinion-based rant of one person’s limited point of view of an aspect of the game. That being said, without the opinions of…

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DICE Working on Battlefront Almost Didn’t Happen

Lisa Clark

We’re excited about DICE working on Star Wars: Battlefront, as we wrote about recently but can you believe it almost didn’t happen? While they seem like the perfect choice for this project, it’s a deal that almost didn’t happen. We’re glad to see DICE on the job because they are meticulous and great at what they do. We definitely have high hopes they will do very well with Battlefront. In Computer and Video Games, we have a great interview with EA’s Patrick Sderlund. Here is the really interesting part: So one of your big surprises was DICE working on the new Star Wars: Battlefront. As you said, that’s pretty much a match made in heaven for fans… but those sorts of dream collaborations don’t happen often. I’m glad you say that because it was almost not happening. It was just something as boring as resources and availability. The DICE guys…

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EA Tells Us Why DICE is Perfect for Battlefront

Lisa Clark

We recently got word that EA would be bringing DICE onto the team for Star Wars: Battlefront. There was not a lot of information given at first about the game, why they chose DICE or what we could all expect. But they’ve now spoken with IGN about it and we have some more info. “EA has commented on why DICE is a great fit for Star Wars: Battlefront. Speaking to IGN during an interview at E3, EA Labels president Frank Gibeau explained that the studio’s experience with Battlefield gives them a unique set of skills perfectly attuned to taking on Star Wars.” IGN has the full story but basically Gibeau tells us why DICE has proven themselves to be good at what they do and a perfect choice for creating Battlefront with Frostbite tech. EA believes that DICE will bring the creative and technical abilities needed to succeed on a…

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Disney Shuts Down LucasArts and Cancels Star Wars Games

Lisa Clark

(image belongs to Kotaku- see their version for funny annotations that say how we all feel) Just recently we brought you the rumors that LucasArts is facing a shutdown. While we didn’t have enough proof to call it a fact, we highly suspected the confirmation was coming soon. Today was the formal notification. According to a source reliable to Kotaku, the staff was informed this morning that LucasArts was shut down. Publicly, Disney is saying their current games could be licensed out to a different publisher or developer, but according to our source, that’s unlikely. Our source says Lucas has pursued the option for “one or both games,” but nothing happened. “”With the teams now basically being dispersed I think both games are effectively dead forever,” our source said. A second source also told Kotaku this afternoon that the chances of Lucas licensing out 1313 are very slim. The odds are “effectively zero,” the…

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How non-paying players can positively impact a game’s success

Editor

Since Star Wars The Old Republic (SWToR) changed its subscription model to Free-to-Play  (F2P), a lot of opinions were raised about whether it was the right thing to do or not. Some quickly labeled SWToR as a failure that didn’t live up to the hype , while others saw this as a necesary change that helps the game’s long-term growth. Whether this change was successful or not remains to be seen, however first indications as reported by James Ohlen and the recent EA investor’s call are positive. Free-to-play might not be such a bad thing after all! A new article over at Gamasutra.com, argues that non-paying players, actually help the growth of such games. The author of the article cites three major reasons for opening up a game to freeloaders. Among other things F2P players help bring in other new players that eventually will turn into subscribers,  they show their appreciation…

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SWTOR Augment Slot Guide

Lisa Clark

One thing that most Star Wars: The Old Republic players have in common is a desire to have the very best gear possible. Building up your character is part of the fun and there are several items available to help you reach your goal. You have the option of modifying gear by using Augments but before you can use them, your gear must have Augment Slots. This Augment Slot guide will show you how to acquire Augmentation Kits, so you can upgrade your character’s gear. Understanding Augments Augments increase the stats of your character to maximize your gear. You can get Augments by using the “slicing crew skill” or you can buy them at the Galactic Trade Network. The type of Augment you use will determine which stats are increased. Here are some examples: Defense – redoubt augments Aim – Reflex augments Strength – might augments Endurance – fortitude augments…

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The Numbers Show SWTOR Isn’t Dying

Lisa Clark

People tend to take on a “the sky is falling” attitude when things don’t go as planned and gamers are no exception. We are judgmental and opinionated and we want our games to be fantastic. If they don’t hit the nail on the head at the start, we call it a flop. Some are labeling SWTOR in the fail category, but is it really? One member of the SWTOR community started an interesting thread on the forums to show the real numbers behind the game and in comparison to other games. He shows that it’s all about perspective when it comes to how you look at the game. These numbers can give a little more perspective to the whole picture: Direct MMO competitors with a subscription or subscription + F2P model (Western Subscription numbers only): World of Warcraft has ~5.1 million players SWTOR has between 1mil-500k players. Eve Online has…

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Bioware Hiring Temp Testers for SWTOR F2P Model

Lisa Clark

If you live in or around Austin like me then you probably already know that there are often opportunities for testing with BioWare. Well, here is a fun opportunity for SWTOR fans. They are seeking temporary usability testers for the free to play model of SWTOR. You can see the original call here and apply if interested. Career Opportunities: Usability Testers (10832) The BioWare Label is a division of EA which crafts high quality multiplatform role-playing, MMO, social, play-for-free and strategy games, focused on emotionally engaging, rich stories with unforgettable characters and vast worlds to discover. Since 1995, BioWare has created some of the world’s most critically acclaimed titles and franchises, including Baldur’s Gate™, Neverwinter Nights™, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™, Jade Empire™, Mass Effect™ and Dragon Age™. BioWare currently operates in eight locations across the world, including Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), Montreal (Quebec, Canada), Austin (Texas), Fairfax (Virginia),…

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Chevin Grand Acquisitions Quest Tips and Hints

Lisa Clark

You still have until Tuesday to complete the Grand Acquisition quest chain and if you’re just now getting started, you’ll have to be quick to get it all done but there are also some benefits to starting later. For one, other people have already done it and leads have been revealed, making it a bit easier to get where you need to go and do what you need to do. I wanted to write a full guide to the quests for you but our dear friend Dulfy has already done all the hard work quicker and better than me. This is by far the best guide on the Internet you are going to find to the Grand Acquisition. Here she posts about the leads currently available (and bookmark the age because she is updating regularly): August 17 – Another Lead is now available August 16 – A New Lead is now available. August 15…

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MMORPG Interview with Jeff Hickman and Matthew Bromberg

Lisa Clark

SWTOR is going free to play and it’s happening sooner than you think. We’re all excited about the news and here’s an interview from MMORPG.com’s William Murphy to give us more info about the game, the move to f2p and other questions you might have. It’s happening, and sooner than you might think. BioWare’s Star Wars: The Old Republic is going F2P with a hybrid business model this fall.  Players have been wondering about it, journalists have been begging for it, and it seems that all this time BioWare’s been listening and reacting.  After being informed of the then embargoed announcement this morning, I had the rare opportunity to sit in on a call with  BioWare’s Jeff Hickman and Matthew Bromberg (who recently took over as GM of the Austin studio.    We talked about the timing, the reasons, and the way in which they believe SWTOR going F2P is just finally giving…

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Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk Leaving BioWare? Unconfirmed Rumors

Lisa Clark

Rumors are going around the past 24 hours after this report on GamersGlobal says that BioWare founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk have left the company or plan to do so soon. It has caused discussions on both the BioWare forums and the SWTOR forums but no one really knows for sure if this is anything more than just a rumor. GameBanshee says: A trustworthy source has been told by an employee of Bioware Austin yesterday that neither Greg Zeschuk nor Ray Muzyka have been present at a Bioware Company Meeting in Austin, Texas, just a few days ago. The employee claimed that this has not been the case before at such a meeting. The six others members of Bioware Austin’s leadership have been there. Also, Greg Zeschuk has not been seen for several weeks now, the Bioware Austin employee claims. There are supposed to be internal rumours at Bioware Austin that…

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Species of Starwars: Geonosian

Soeren Kamper

An insectoid species divided into castes, the Geonosians are native to the harsh rocky world of Geonosis. Geonosians construct immense, organic-looking spires within which reside their hive colonies. There are two main types of Geonosians: the wingless drones that mostly work as laborers, and the winged aristocrat, which includes royal warriors serving as scouts and providing security to the hive. All Geonosians have a hard, chitinous exoskeleton, elongated faces, multi-jointed limbs, and speak in a strange clicking language. Though labeled “warriors,” Geonosians do not have a standing military. They instead use their droid foundries to build armies for corporate interests wealthy enough to afford them—entities such as the Trade Federation and the Techno Union. Despite relatively simple minds, the Geonosians are adept at mechanical construction, and are contractors to many of the galaxy’s biggest manufacturing concerns. They are responsible for the construction of some of the largest feats of engineering…

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