Apparently some guilds in SWTOR use something called squelch abuse. The squelch system works as an anti-spamming system, that automatically revokes all chat/mail privileges for a player if someone were to send out the same message repetitively – Think credit sellers etc. This system has also been expanded to reporting spam, and apparently people are coordinating to abuse the system to report non-spammers of spamming to trigger the system to grief players they don’t like. Eric Musco went on the forums to post Bioware’s stance on it: Sucks to be Squelched | 03.21.2016, 12:59 PM Hey folks, Let’s talk a little bit about our squelch system that is in the game. This system was implemented quite some time ago as a method for players to not only avoid filling up their /ignore list, but to also help in getting a lot of those pesky Credit Sellers out of chat. This has been very…
SWTOR
SWTOR: Server Downtime: 22 March 2016
All servers will be unavailable on Tuesday, March 22nd while BioWare perform back end maintenance. DATE: March 22nd, 2016 TIME: 5AM PDT – 9AM PDT (12:00 – 16:00 GMT) VERSION: N/A DOWNLOAD: N/A Timezone(s) Start Time End Time UTC Offset Wellington March 23, 2016 01:00 am March 23, 2016 05:00 am +13:00 Australia/Sydney March 22, 2016 11:00 pm March 23, 2016 03:00 am +11:00 Australia/Adelaide March 22, 2016 10:30 pm March 23, 2016 02:30 am +10:30 Australia/Brisbane March 22, 2016 10:00 pm March 23, 2016 02:00 am +10:00 Tokyo March 22, 2016 09:00 pm March 23, 2016 01:00 am +09:00 Australia/Perth, Hong Kong March 22, 2016 08:00 pm March 23, 2016 12:00 am +08:00 Mumbai March 22, 2016 05:30 pm March 22, 2016 09:30 pm +05:30 Moscow March 22, 2016 03:00 pm March 22, 2016 07:00 pm +03:00 EET March 22, 2016 02:00 pm March 22, 2016 06:00 pm +02:00 CET…
Changes to the SWTOR Cartel Market — Tuesday March 15 2016
Here are the weekly cartel market items on sale for the week of March 15 – March 21 2016 . Price Change Old Price New Price Percent Change Normal Price Helpful links APPEARANCE OPTION: AFRO 25 100 +300% 100 EMOTE: CHILLY 50 200 +300% 200 X-3 TECHMASTER ARMOR SET 600 1200 +100% 1200 EMOTE: FREEZING 50 200 +300% 200 UNLOCK: CARGO HOLD ACCESS 200 475 +137% 475 STRONGHOLD SPACER’S DECORATION BUNDLE 1280 800 –38% 1280 ORLEAN LE-5 1500 750 –50% SITH RAIDER ARMOR SET 1200 600 –50% 1200 MAJOR WARZONE XP BOOST BUNDLE 180 45 –75% 180 APPEARANCE OPTION: DREADLOCKS 100 25 –75% 100
Charles Boyd Doing New Voiceovers for SWTOR
So what’s new in the world of SWTOR? Will we see new content any time soon? A sign from the Twitterverse says yes. Charles Boyd, lead designer and creative for SWTOR announced via Twitter that he was headed to LA again for the next round of SWTOR voiceover work with the ” amazing” cast of talent. This is exciting news for fans because it always means more content is being created. You can see that post here: It’s that time again – heading to LA for the next round of #SWTOR voiceover with our amazing cast of talent 😀 — Charles Boyd (@Charles_Boyd) March 13, 2016 What do you think they could be working on recording right now? Could it be KotFE Season 2 stuff? It’s really all speculation at this point. All we really do know is that we will get more content. Whenever conversations like this get started,…
SWTOR Mod in Progress for Empire at War 2
Do you play Empire at War? If you’re a Star Wars fan, then here is some news you might really enjoy. This is a mod for Star Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, based on the Star Wars the Old Republic era and online game. Birb & Bean and its founders, Barcuda13 and elfenvy, are hard at work and hope to bring a new look to the Old Republic and the Forces of Corruption modding community with this project. It’s called The Old Republic: Ultimate War and it sounds pretty cool. You can learn more about it here. Here are some basic updates/info: RELEASE DATE: The mod is planned to be released sometime in late 2016. Already released is the Space Alpha, which is a small preview of the mod. It has a few Space skirmish maps and some units we have coded in already. We plan to update…
The Academy, Ep 5 -“How Do Companions Work?”
Another episode of The Academy is out and this time we get to learn about companions. I’ve told you before how much I love these videos. They are actually recorded from a podcast and then set to video which is why especially in the first few, you also hear another voice talking with her or saying “mhmm” now and then. But anyway, they are really great, useful videos for anyone new to the game. If you have a friend or family member you’ve been trying to get into the game, or someone you know who has just started to play SWTOR, you definitely want to turn them on to these videos. So here in Episode 5, Swtorista talks about one of the most unique features of SWTOR – the companion system. Companions can do a lot for you in SWTOR but if you’re new to the game, you might have…
The SWTOR Eternal Championship will be Delayed
SWTOR Eternal Championship is delayed, and will not part of Patch 4.2. Read hwy below: The Eternal Championship | 03.04.2016, 10:27 PM Hey folks, We have been doing a lot of internal playtesting on the Eternal Championship and it is currently not at a level that we believe our players deserve. In keeping with our commitment to offer the highest quality experience possible with our latest expansion, we have decided to delay the launch of the Eternal Championship. We are focusing on overall balance, ensuring each boss fight is challenging, endeavoring to exceed quality expectations, and most of all, making sure it is a fun experience. Please note Bowdaar will also be delayed, but will continue to launch alongside the Eternal Championship. To help ensure we deliver on the deeper experience we promised, we have decided to make the Eternal Championship available on our Public Test Server (PTS) prior to…
SWTOR: PTS Warzone and Arena Changelist
Odessen Warzone and Rishi Arena is going through some changes on the SWTOR Public test servers. Here are a list of what has been changed this time: Odessen Warzone Performed a small optimization pass on Odessen Warzone visuals. Designer Note: We are expecting a slight increase in client performance while in the Odessen Warzone with this update. The update included removing the VFX that plays your team’s color while in a Control Point area. We are still performing additional optimization passes but wanted to get this out into the wild to see how it played. Control Points are active for approximately 90 seconds, up from the previous 75 seconds. Designer Note: We found that players didn’t have enough time to react to changes during a round and that this would allow more time for attackers to remove defenders. In Round 1 only the three middle Control Points (Defense Cannon, Cantina,…
SWTOR The Voice of Blizz
Have you ever asked yourself what Blizz from SWTOR would sound like with a human voice? Okay, maybe not but now is your chance to know. It’s the voice of Fred Tatasciore and the video shows clips that have been slowed to a point where you can recognize his actual voice if you’ve heard it before. He’s a very talented voice actor, well known for doing creature and monster voices. As we’ve mentioned in a previous post, it’s very interesting to learn more about the voice actors behind some of our favorite and most loved Star Wars characters. As for Fred Tatasciore, he is the best of the best. He’s done voice acting for many very popular movies, television shows, and of course, video games. You may know him from the Gears of War series as well. He’s had voice acting parts in all of the following Star Wars related games: Star…
Player Harassment in SWTOR – Inaction and Consequences
We’ve talked about player harassment here before. It’s an issue in SWTOR. It’s an issue in MMORPGs. It’s an issue in video games. It’s an issue on the Internet. But what can be done about it? Now that is a question that has a lot of different answers. When we look at all the different ways in which harassment can occur, it becomes and even more complicated issue. So let’s look at SWTOR alone for the sake of this post. How can player harassment in SWTOR be handled better? There are some players who will say the current system in place is working as intended and that you just need to get used to it and move on if you encounter problems while playing the game. Then there are others who will disagree and say that more needs to be done about player harassment in the game. Xam Xam has…
An Open Letter to the Creators of the SWTOR Cartel Packs
Hyperspace Beacon has a few things to say to BioWare. Actually, they have a bit of a bone to pick with the SWTOR team. And he’s not alone in this one. There are many people out there who agree, as the comment section will show and I have to say that while I am a fan of the game and have been since the beginning, he makes very valid points on this one. There are some seriously annoying flaws with Cartel Packs and while this isn’t the first time it’s been said, the points are presented rather well. So what’s the beef? Well, here’s part of it: “I am disappointed by the execution of the latest cartel packs on many, many levels. It was difficult enough for me to accept these lottery boxes in the first place. It concerns me that the best looking and most desired items in the…
Twi’leks in SWTOR and Rebels Have Something in Common
Twi’leks are a loved race in all of Star Wars. Did you know that they actually have something interesting in common in Star Wars Rebels and SWTOR? They share a voice actress. Vanessa Marshall voices Hera in Rebels and Alauni in SWTOR. Catherine Taber voices Numa in Rebels and Vette in SWTOR. Also, if Taber’s voice sounds familiar, it’s because she was also Padme in The Clone Wars. She was also the voice of Mission Tao in KOTOR. See here:p View post on imgur.com As you can see, the voice actors of Star Wars games are a close knit group. There are definitely cross overs and not just with Twi’leks. But this was a happy little coincidence that we just had to bring to your attention (if you didn’t already notice). One thing that many Star Wars fans love is knowing the people behind the characters and behind the voices. It really…
The Academy Ep 3 Tells Us How Hardmode Flashpoints and Operations Work
Swtorista has a new episode of The Academy out for your viewing. This is the third video in the series that is a part of her being a guest on Ootinicast’s weekly podcast. It’s all about roles and ops and will cover all the basics you need to know about doing these group events in SWTOR. It’s simple and straightforward and it contains all the basics you need to know. In the interest of keeping it short, she doesn’t go fully into details of everything but it’s definitely a great foundation. “I want to do a hardmode flashpoint or operation. How do they work?”” The Academy is a series focused on the basics of SWTOR. If you want to listen to more, tune in to Ootinicast’s latest episodes. She says the next video will be about class and which one you should play. And next they will be recording one…
SWTOR – The Biggest Comeback in PC Gaming History?
Some of you who have been around with us since the very beginning (pre-launch even) will know that SWTOR today and SWTOR then are like two different games. Sure, the premise and many of the elements are there, but it’s different in a variety of ways, all of which we think are for the better. This is just one more way that BioWare shows they listen to the players and also that they want to make great games that people truly enjoy. If something isn’t working, you tweak it until it does. They don’t just abandon their projects like many will do. BioWare really came a long way with SWTOR and we’re very glad it’s still with us today and we’re happy to have been with it since the beginning. PC Gamer is calling it one of the biggest comebacks in PC gaming history. Here’s a snippet of a piece…
SWTOR Odessen Warzone Mechanics explanation
BioWare have posted a short explanation about the Odessen warzone. Apparently there have been a lot of confusion about the mechanics of it. Odessen Warzone Mechanics | 02.26.2016, 08:52 PM Hey folks, We have seen quite a few questions around some of the mechanics in the Odessen Warzone. Here are some points of clarification. Control Points Spawning At the start of the match 2 control points spawn at random Control Points last for one round, a round lasts for 75 seconds The amount of Control Points active increases as more rounds occur There are 8 rounds in total (though a team can win before the 8th round starts) Round 1,2,3: Two Control Points active Round 4,5,6: Three Control Points active Round 7,8: Four Control Points active After Round 1 Battle Mods spawn, Battle Mods have different impacts on points depending on which Mod you have. Capping a Control Point Control Points…
The Correct Way to Give Out Unique Codes for SWTOR
If you have unique codes for SWTOR that you want to give out to others, great! You’re a fantastic person and we all appreciate you for it. That said, here is a word of caution: you may not want to post those unique codes openly. If you simply post them on a forum or website, they are most likely going to be bot-mined, which means no real humans are going to get your codes and be able to play an enjoy. Instead, bot accounts will use them for gold farming/selling and other exploits. If you want normal, real people to get the codes, you’re going to have to give them out directly. Does that sound like a lot of work? Well don’t worry because it doesn’t have to be. Here are some ideas for giving out your unique codes for SWTOR: Host a contest and give the winners the codes…
SWTOR 4.3 PTS online today
Tait Watson just informed the community that BioWare are working to bring the 4.3 PTS online today. Expect servers to be up around 11AM CST Game Update 4.3 PTS | 02.25.2016, 09:10 AM Hey everyone! I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that we are going to be working to bring the 4.3 PTS online today. We are aiming for around 11AM CST, but that could change depending on a few different variables. Right now, I don’t imagine it will change. Character Copy is currently offline, but will be available once the PTS is. Keep an eye on the PTS Forums, as any further news and updates will go there. Thanks, and see you out there! -Tait Character Transfers are now available!
New Side Project In Case You’re Bored in SWTOR
Every now and then we come across something that just really gets your giggles going. This is one of those types of posts. User djcecil2 posted to Reddit about how he had found a new side hobby in SWTOR, complete with pictures. Of dead players… See for yourself: I’ve found a new side hobby while playing the game. Taking pictures of dead people. It’s really quite hilarious! More than one commenter noted the dead faces’ resemblance to “O faces” which will probably lead you down a path of NSFW imagery and links. But honestly, it is pretty funny. How many times have you seen a dead player in a hilarious position? Sometimes it’s just the way the corpse falls and other times it can be an actual glitch in the game, like a body falling partly through the scenery, but it always makes for some laughs. I know this is such a…
SWTOR Livestream Updates
SWTOR Community Manager Eric Musco, just made an update about changes coming to BioWares Livestreams. Apparently the users over at the official Star Wars: The old Republic Forums, don’t like the story Livestream hosted by Charles Boyd. There for team is shutting it down and will try to do a vblog that will be hosted on youtube instead. Check out the full story below: Livestream Updates | 02.24.2016, 01:16 PM Hey folks, Thanks to all of you who have posted feedback on our Livestreams. Based on your feedback we have some changes planned. The monthly Producer Livestreams, scheduled the second Thursday of each month have been well received as we are able to address community concerns and offer information into what is coming – so that is going to continue in its current form. The Story Livestream hosted by Charles Boyd, offers insight into the upcoming story chapters. Unfortunately, this…
Is Star Wars Rebels Making Old Republic Canon?
Since the Disney buyout of Star Wars, there is one thing that’s been bothering fans and that is the direction of the story line. Many Star Wars stories have just been thrown out completely. Some of the real classic stories are still around under Legends but so many good stories are just gone. There’s so much more that could be done with Star Wars and it seems like Disney isn’t interested in changing that. There is one exception to this rule, however: Star Wars Rebels. It looks like Rebels might be bringing back the most beloved EU story canon – Knights of the Old Republic. Nerd Union has written a great piece about this. Here’s a few of the reasons they give: The ships in the holo when Princess Leia brought supplies They Keep Developing the Mandalorians The Great Scourge of Malachor For the full reasoning behind these hints, read the full article,…
How BioWare Makes Use of Livestreamers for SWTOR
You might remember when BioWare was promoting KotFE that they brought in several well known live streamers and live video people to help promote the new expansion. They had YouTube content creators as well as popular Twitch streamers talk about SWTOR to their own fanbase. They also seemed to talk to outside streamers from other games about trying SWTOR and also introducing it to their audiences. It’s not a bad strategy, honestly. It’s something that most companies will do in a time like this but some will say it failed for BioWare in this scenario. It doesn’t look like it paid off how BioWare would have hoped because they aren’t using that tactic anymore. It’s common practice for companies to experiment with different marketing tactics to see what works and this wasn’t a bad idea in theory. I work in marketing and I know the power behind brand ambassadors and…
The Academy: How to Make Your Character Look Cool in SWTOR
There are many reasons to love MMORPGs and SWTOR has all of these features packed into one great Star Wars themed game. Of these, character customization is an important one. Sure, there are many other important elements, such as those that affect gameplay, but when it comes down to it, looking cool is important to many players. When you’re rolling characters in a role playing game, there is usually a part of you that wants to get into the character you’re playing. You want your character to reflect parts of your personality or of the personality you are role playing. Now if you want to learn how to make your character in SWTOR look cool, this great video from SWTORista’s Academy series will help you. In the video they explain the outfit designer, which is a pretty cool feature. I remember when WoW first got a feature like this. It…
Curious How BioWare Created SWTOR Classes?
If you’ve ever wanted to know how BioWare created the SWTOR classes, you’re in luck. There is a special guest post series on StarWars.com from SWTOR lead designer, Michael Backus that tells you all about it. You can see Part 1 here, which talks about the Republic. Blakus has been on the SWTOR team for seven years now and if you’ve ever had any interaction with him, you know that he is really passionate about what he does and it shows. So it’s great to see that he is the one doing this guest post series because I’m sure it’s going to be good. Here’s a snippet from part 1: “So I’m going to do just that. I’m going to talk about the different classes in Star Wars: The Old Republic, but more importantly, about each class’s story arc. And by this, I don’t mean spoilers about their plots, but really, what…
SWTOR Maintenance: 18 February 2016 Patch 4.1b
BioWare will be taking the servers offline in order to apply Patch 4.1b on Thursday, February 18th. Details: DATE: February 18, 2016 TIME: 5AM PST – 7AM PST (13:00 – 15:00 GMT) VERSION: 4.1b We will post patch notes as we get them. Timezone(s) Start Time End Time UTC Offset Wellington February 19, 2016 02:00 am February 19, 2016 04:00 am +13:00 Australia/Sydney February 19, 2016 12:00 am February 19, 2016 02:00 am +11:00 Australia/Adelaide February 18, 2016 11:30 pm February 19, 2016 01:30 am +10:30 Australia/Brisbane February 18, 2016 11:00 pm February 19, 2016 01:00 am +10:00 Tokyo February 18, 2016 10:00 pm February 19, 2016 12:00 am +09:00 Australia/Perth, Hong Kong February 18, 2016 09:00 pm February 18, 2016 11:00 pm +08:00 Mumbai February 18, 2016 06:30 pm February 18, 2016 08:30 pm +05:30 Moscow February 18, 2016 04:00 pm February 18, 2016 06:00 pm +03:00 EET February 18,…